Federal judge blocks Texas' elimination of straight-ticket voting

[Gothmog]

Source: Texas Tribune

A U.S. district judge has blocked Texas from eliminating straight-ticket voting as an option for people at the polls this November.

Straight-ticket voting allows voters to register support for all of their party’s candidates on the ballot with a single mark. Democrats had sued the state in March to overturn the Texas Legislature's decision to kill straight-ticket voting.

“Time and time again Republican leadership has tried to make it harder to vote and time and time again federal courts strike it down,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement after the ruling. "Texas Democrats will have to continue to win at the ballot box to protect the right vote. Until the new Texas majority wipes out these out-of-touch Republicans, Texas Democrats will never stop fighting for Texans in court.”

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/25/straight-ticket-voting-texas/?utm_campaign=trib-social&utm_content=1601075880&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

[Gothmog]

1. BREAKING: Federal Court BLOCKS Texas' repeal of straight ticket voting option.

Link to tweet

[keithbvadu2]

2. Now, why would GOP legislators deny ordinary republicans the ability to vote straight-ticket for the

Now, why would GOP legislators deny ordinary republicans the ability to vote straight-ticket for their party?

[Gothmog]

4. This was done because Dan Patrick's idiot son lost in Harris County

Dan Patrick was upset that his idiot son was voted out in Harris County and of course the villian had to be straignt ticket voting

[vercetti2021]

3. They know Texas is inevitable

The demographics are heavily changing now. Trump amplified it so much that he pushed Texas more blue. They will try everything to stop Democrats from flipping Texas.

[LeftInTX]

5. Yep!

Unfortunately, this will be appealed.

And it took the judge 6 months to make a decision?

Since the straight ticket option was eliminated via the Texas lege, I don't know there is much that can be done. Texas was one of the very few states that still allowed straight ticket and this is a federal case....I don't think we will win on appeal because they can't compare us to anyone.

However, the Motor Vehicle - Voter Registration thing went through and online license renewals are now updating their voter registration, but in that case the federal judge found that Texas was violating a federal law. In this case, I can't see which federal law that Texas is violating.

[Lonestarblue]

6. The thing that frustrates me is not listing party affiliation for judges.

I have to spend a lot of time searching not only a judge’s record but which party they belong to. I choose never to vote for a Republican. As we’ve seen in Texas, judges are not nonpartisan, and I want to know their political beliefs and whether they will put their personal beliefs—especially those with a religious agenda—ahead of the law.

[DownriverDem]

8. Maybe

your local or state Dem Party could help with identifying who are the Dems.

[LeftInTX]

10. Huh?

Judicial elections are extremely partisan in Texas. Screenshot from my Nov 2020 sample ballot:

[DownriverDem]

7. Yay!

Michigan had straight ticket voting for years, until the repubs took it away. We the people did a petition drive to change the voting laws here including returning to straight ticket voting. So we have it again!

[LeftInTX]

11. Good for Michigan

Unfortunately, I think this case will be overturned.

It was in federal court and not state. There isn't any federal law being violated. The Republicans will rush an appeal on Monday, where it will go to the conservative 5th Court of Appeals, then the USSC.

Also the judge waiting 6 months to issue a ruling????

[El Supremo]

9. When I first voted in Texas there were levers...

to vote a straight party ballot. The machine was similar to this one but with smaller Democratic and Republican levers which you pulled before the red one to cast your ballot. It made things much easier.

[summer_in_TX]

12. Green Party candidates got a win in Texas last week

The Texas Supreme Court ruled in their favor and allowed them on the ballot. Since many were candidates in statewide races, every mail-in ballot in the state suddenly had to be reprinted just days before they were to be mailed out by state law. Voting machines will have to be reprogrammed to add those candidates.

I would like to know if the Texas Green Party had Republican money as they did in Wisconsin.

It's a move very much designed to siphon Democratic votes away from our candidates. Green sounds so nice and healthy.