Texas Senate approve electronic voter registration

[Gothmog]

This is a very big step in the right direction http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Senate-approve-electronic-voter-registration-4457600.php

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Senate has voted to allow voters with driver's licenses and state identification cards to register to voter over the Internet.

The Senate approved the measure on Tuesday, and it now goes to the House for consideration.

The bill by San Antonio Democrat Carlos Uresti would not allow people without state ID cards to use the system. He said the aim is to eliminate the errors created when people fill out voter registration cards by hand. Those have to be transcribed and may not perfectly match state records.

[Downwinder]

1. Doesn't quite address the problem of transportation

to the DPS office to get an ID.

[Gothmog]

2. Voter ID

There is some faint hope that the SCOTUS will not fully strike down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Even if Section 5 is ruled to be unconstitutional, there will be additional litigation under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and under the poll tax amendment. The Missouri State Supreme Court ruled that a voter id law that required one to pay for a birth certificate in order to vote was a poll tax. Weinschenk v. State, 203 SW 3d 201 - Mo: Supreme Court 2006 In order to get the Election Identification Certificate under SB 14, one has to pay for an official birth certificate. The requirement that one has to travel more than 100 miles round trip to vote may also be considered to be a poll tax.

I am working with the State Party on a program to help people get ids if SB 14 (the Texas voter suppression/id law) becomes effective. My proposed program will not solve the transportation issue but may help the Texas Democratic Party help fight the effects of SB 14

[Downwinder]

3. I am two blocks from the County Sub-courthouse

where I can early vote. I am five blocks from my precinct polling location. The closest DPS location is fifteen miles. Fifteen miles is beyond my ambulatory capabilities. I can get a cab for $40.00 round-trip. City Hall is three blocks away, I have been offered a City ID if that is acceptable (The City would prefer that to having to supply me with absentee ballots.).

I would readily pose at the Sub-courthouse, polling station, or City Hall for a picture or I could submit a photo as is done with passports (which I understand are acceptable). Until that time I elect to run the costs up using absentee ballots for City, School, Local, State, and National elections. By my calculations an absentee ballot costs the election entity and additional $20.00.

[Gothmog]

4. Vote by Mail is not covered

A city ID is not accceptable under SB 14. One of the ways that the State Party and others are looking at dealing with SB 14 is increased voting by mail in that voting by mail is not covered by SB 14. This is not a perfect solution but may be the best that we can do if the SCOTUS rules that Section 5 of the VRA is unconstitutional.

If Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is upheld, it was likely that the DOJ would have been able to negotiate changes to the Texas law to allow for mobile registration units (as was done in Georgia) or broader exceptions as was done in South Carolina.