Tag Archives: voter ID

We have a final count of rejected mail ballots

About one in eight got canned. That’s a lot. The votes of more than 24,000 Texans who tried to cast ballots by mail were thrown out in the March primary — a dramatic increase in rejected ballots in the first … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Still more on the mail ballot rejections

The Associated Press moves the ball forward now that the votes have been canvassed. Texas threw out mail votes at an abnormally high rate during the nation’s first primary of 2022, rejecting nearly 23,000 ballots outright under tougher voting rules … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

More data about mail ballot rejections

Keep it coming. Thousands of Texans who attempted to vote by mail in the March primary were disenfranchised in the state’s first election conducted under a new Republican voting law. The state’s largest counties saw a significant spike in the … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Yes, most people will generally support the idea of decent election reforms

But that doesn’t mean they’ll vote for politicians who support them, and that right there makes all the difference. From the UH Hobby School, here’s part four of their January 2022 public opinion fest, which began with their election poll. … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Yes, most people will generally support the idea of decent election reforms

On to the next mail ballot problem

A lot of the people who managed to fill out the mail ballot application form correctly have failed to fill in the newly-required voter ID information on the ballot and have to get that fixed or have their ballot tossed. … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Lots of mail ballot applications are being rejected now

This is a feature, not a bug. Hundreds of Texans seeking to vote by mail in the upcoming March primary elections are seeing their applications for ballots rejected by local election offices trying to comply with stricter voting rules enacted … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Justice Department sues Texas over the voter suppression law

Specifically, they are challenging a couple of specific provisions of the law. The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday sued Texas over its new voting law, expanding its effort to challenge Republican-backed measures passed in state legislatures. The lawsuit, brought by … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Justice Department sues Texas over the voter suppression law

The tab for voter ID

Impressive. Texas remains responsible for nearly $6.8 million in legal fees and costs owed to the collection of parties who sued over its voter ID law. Though the state ultimately won the long-winding fight to keep the voter ID law … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The tab for voter ID

More on the post-quorum break fallout

This Trib story mostly centers on the perspective of the Black legislators during the SB7 fight, and it’s a good read for that, but I want to focus on this bit here: While the legislation in the Senate partly targeted … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We have a poll that says people oppose more voting restrictions

A good sign, just remember our mantra about polls. As state Republicans push to restrict voting, a new poll shows a majority of Texans want more time to vote early and do not approve of threatening voters or those who … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Republicans roll out their big voter suppression bill

They can’t do anything about blackouts or floods or COVID vaccinations, but they sure can do this. Joining a nationwide movement by Republicans to enact new restrictions on voting, Gov. Greg Abbott indicated Monday he will back legislation to outlaw … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Who believes in the myth of voter fraud?

Republicans do. Next question. A new University of Houston survey reveals the stark partisan divide among Texans on the issue of voter fraud in the November election. The survey found that 87 percent of Democrats believe there was no widespread … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

How Greg Abbott wants to restrict voting

More from that Trib story following the State of the State address. As part of his State of the State speech, Abbott designated five emergency items, or items that lawmakers can vote on within the first 60 days of session. … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

How bad will the attack on voting be this session?

Hard to say, but there’s no reason to be particularly optimistic. As the country’s political polarization reaches a boiling point — illustrated vividly Wednesday by the violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the president who believed his … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

I remain pessimistic about the chances of good voting bills passing

This Trib story suggests that with Republicans doing well in the high turnout 2020 election, and with the emergency measures that were implemented to expand voting access, the odds of getting a bill passed to make some forms of voting … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A few thoughts about Election 2020 before Tuesday

Just a brain dump, to get this all out there before we find out what happened. Let’s start with this: After the conclusion of three weeks of early voting, 9.7 million Texans have cast ballots, crushing previous early voting totals … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Of course Republicans have benefited from voting by mail

Obviously. And yes, even in recent elections. The coronavirus pandemic is expected to drive millions of Americans to vote by mail this year, a shift that data suggest is underway even in Texas, where only some voters are allowed to … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Texas, the “We don’t want you to vote” state

And by “We” I mean “Republicans”. In five states controlled by Republican governors and legislatures, new policies allow all voters to use COVID-19 as an excuse to mail in their ballots. In Iowa, the Republican secretary of state sent absentee ballot applications for … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas, the “We don’t want you to vote” state

How hard it is to vote is a policy choice

Harris County tried to make it easier. The state GOP, various other Republican contingents, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, and others fought that choice every step of the way. Much of the Democrats’ dream of turning Texas blue is pinned on … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How hard it is to vote is a policy choice

County Clerk can send his vote by mail applications

Good. A judge on Friday rejected Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to halt Harris County’s plan to send mail ballot applications to all 2.4 million registered voters. State District Judge R.K. Sandill denied Paxton’s request for a temporary injunction, stating … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

State ordered to pay plaintiffs’ fees in voter ID case

Pending appeal, of course. Texas ultimately won the long-winding fight to keep its voter ID law on the books, but a federal judge has ruled the state is on the hook for nearly $6.8 million in legal fees and costs. In a Wednesday … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State ordered to pay plaintiffs’ fees in voter ID case

A note about voter ID and vote by mail

See if you can detect the same theme I’m detecting. From Houston Public Media: Rice University recently surveyed Harris County voters. And nearly 70 percent of respondents preferred voting by mail if that’s an option. “We found that a large … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Dan Patrick gets all hysterical about voting by mail

Poor Dan. You know how emotional he gets. Could someone get him a nice cup of chamomile tea, to help him calm down a bit? Thanks. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Friday said that efforts to expand mail-in voting during … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Federal court issues order to allow voting by mail

Here we go again. A federal judge opened a path for a massive expansion in absentee voting in Texas by ordering Tuesday that all state voters, regardless of age, qualify for mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. Days after a … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Here’s the official order in the TDP vote by mail lawsuit

Round One went to the plaintiffs. From there, who knows. A Texas state district judge on Friday issued an order allowing voters to use the coronavirus as a reason to vote by mail for as long as the pandemic lasts … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Voting centers everywhere

In Dallas: Starting in November, problems like Mr. Voter’s, at least in Dallas County, will be a thing of the past. Tuesday afternoon, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office officially gave the county permission to participate in the countywide voting … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No bail in

No surprise, I’m afraid. Texas won’t have to seek federal approval when state lawmakers draw new election maps in two years, a three-judge panel in San Antonio decided Wednesday. The judges, however, cautioned Texas that its next process will “undoubtedly” … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A starter agenda for when we have a Democratic state government

I’ve been pondering the recent legislative session, which as we have discussed wasn’t great but also wasn’t nearly as bad as some other recent sessions have been. The qualification for all this is that the key defining factor for our … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Section 3 bail-in hearing

At long last, the final question to answer about Texas and the Voting Rights Act, namely has the state done enough bad stuff to be required to be put under preclearance again? Back in the federal courthouse where most of … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Section 3 bail-in hearing

Voter ID lawsuit officially ends

That’s all there is, at least until the next atrocity. A federal judge formally dismissed the lawsuit challenging the Texas voter ID law Monday, the final step in a yearslong fight that will allow the state to enforce a weakened … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Voter ID lawsuit officially ends

The end of the voter ID fight

I guess that’s it. After seven long years of litigation, opponents of Texas’ voter ID law say the case is over. In a court filing on Wednesday, opponents of the law requiring Texas voters to present photo identification to vote … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The end of the voter ID fight

The fruit of the poisoned tree

If the discriminatory intent of the Texas redistricting was no biggie, then surely the discriminatory intent of the voter ID law is no biggie too. Right? In a motion filed Wednesday, the Texas attorney general’s office asked U.S. District Judge … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fifth Circuit upholds voter ID changes

Ugh. Amid efforts to prove Texas’ embattled voter ID law is discriminatory, a federal appeals panel on Friday OK’d state lawmakers’ efforts to rewrite the law last year to address faults previously identified by the courts. On a 2-1 vote, … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Today is the last day to cure a provisional ballot

If you voted provisionally during the primary because you did not have an accepted form of ID in your possession when you voted, you need to “cure” your provisional ballot in order for it to be counted. From the inbox: … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Today is the last day to cure a provisional ballot