The absurd TX primaries system (2 Step) got sent back to court re-hearing -- YAY!1

[UTUSN]

This thing, "unique to TX", consists of (voting in the primaries):

1) You go vote at the polls. But that doesn't count.

2) You have to return on Election Day evening at your precinct's caucus, THEN vote.

3) Delegates to the convention are allotted proportionally according to voter turnout in PAST elections.

4) Weeks after Election Day there are county conventions and eventually a statewide convention for finalizing the voting.

The tally is a COMBINATION of percentages of the POPULAR and the CAUCUS votes.


I may not be clear on this. Maybe somebody from Texas can correct my version.

But, get the picture: You have to go out into the November dark evening, cross Security-less parking lots, go through empty school buildings to find your caucus. You are tired from work and have to go to work the next day. You have kids and chores waiting while you mess around at a caucus filled mostly with some FUN people whose main goal is to become delegates to the convention, go through the voting for delegates. People LEAVE in the middle of this HASSLE.


And for the Rethug input, THEY see NO discrimination in the process----do they EVER?!1


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http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=6909660

Hispanics' Texas Primary Suit to Be Reconsidered

Appeals court says panel should reconsider case against Texas Democratic delegate system
By KELLEY SHANNON Associated Press Writer

.... The League of United Latin American Citizens, the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston and other plaintiffs sued the state and the Democratic Party after the intense primary between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. The plaintiffs weren't contesting to whom the delegates were awarded, but rather how the allotment was made.

They argue that the complicated delegate system known as the "Texas two-step" unfairly dilutes Latino votes by awarding fewer presidential delegates to heavily Hispanic areas. ....

The appeals court did not rule on the merits of the claims but agreed with the Latino groups that the judicial review of election practices the plaintiffs seek under the Voting Rights Act requires a three-judge panel. The court reinstated the Democratic Party as a defendant but not the state, saying the delegate system is the party's and not the state's.

The delegate process includes a primary and caucus plus state Senate district caucuses a few weeks later. Plaintiffs say the system dilutes the votes of those who cast only a primary ballot but can't make it to an evening caucus on primary day.

Nearly all the delegates in the Texas system are apportioned based on Democratic voter turnout numbers in state Senate districts in previous elections. So, low turnout in a Hispanic area for Democrat Chris Bell in the 2006 gubernatorial election resulted in fewer presidential delegates for that district in 2008.

LULAC contends that Latino districts by nature have fewer Democratic participants because the voting age population is younger.




http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=224499

Texas Two-Step under scrutiny

11/14/2008 10:28 PM
By: Catie Beck

Texas Democratic Leaders got an earful Friday about the Texas Two-Step. That would be the voting system, not the venerable traditional dance step routine.

There was celebration but none of it was to applaud the Texas Two-Step. It was in fact cheer for changing it. ....

Flaws were the main topic of discussion Friday before a panel of Texas Democrats. Primary problems and issues with how Texas uses a combination of popular vote and caucus vote to determine its leaders. ....

Critics of it say it's too confusing and that asking voters to return to the polls at night to caucus is not a good measure of commitment to a candidate. ....

Democrats say specifically it leaves out the elderly and minorities. Hays County Republican Party Chair Craig Young said the system is not broke so there's no need to fix it.

"I didn't see a discrimination factor this time at the polls and it seemed to turn them out more than turn them away," he said.

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