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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums80,000 Texas voters (minorities) purged from the voting lists for being dead...but they ain't dead.
Quite a few Texas voters are seeing dead people in the mirror these days when they go to brush their teeth in the morning. In Houston, high school nurse Terry Collins got a letter informing her that after 34 years of voting she was off the Harris County rolls. Sorry.
"Friday of last week, I got a letter saying that my voting registration would be revoked because I'm deceased, I'm dead. I was like, 'Oh, no I'm not!' " Collins says.In order to stay on the rolls, the 52-year-old nurse had to call and inform the registrar of her status among the living. She tried, but it didn't go so well.
"When I tried to call I was on hold for an hour, never got anyone," she says. "I called three days in a row and was on hold for an hour or more."Collins, who is black, says she noticed that in Houston, quite a few of those who got the letters seemed to be older and black.
http://www.npr.org/2012/09/16/161145248/many-texans-bereaved-over-dead-voter-purge?ps=view&ec=mostpopular
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)arcane1
(38,613 posts)but this smells enough to sue the entire state.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)Rick Perry should be arrested and thrown in prison
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)for the purpose of subverting democratic process. That has to be a punishable offense, if not treason itself.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)And the school text book groups, school boards, etc. Oh, and disconnect from the alternative reality grid set up by the Koch brothers. That includes the guilty pleasures of the beloved conspiracy stuff. Deprogram the Bain, Fox, Clear Channel, now Dish TV Glenn Beck cult followers. One at time. Hard work but it's that, die or join the fascism.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)National same-day registration is a good start.
DBoon
(22,403 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)CoffeeCat
(24,411 posts)I wonder why the nefarious criminals are putting in so much effort to suppress the vote in Texas? Texas is almost always a Republican stronghold. I get why they do this in swing states, but not in states where Republicans will most likey win.
Any guesses?
robinlynne
(15,481 posts)rainbow4321
(9,974 posts)Always the case here..especially the last 2 POTUS elections. Especially in the counties that have large, urban populatons.
Dallas County voted out all of it's repukes county-wide, including the repuke judges. I remember going to our county's Dem convention in 2008 (just went to observe, wasn't there as a delegate) and one of the guest speakers was a Dallas Dem judge. He said once the Dem judges got elected the huge backlog of cases were getting addressed and DONE. As opposed to when the repuke judges were in there and didn't do ANY work. Amazing what can get done when you actually DO the job you were ELECTED TO DO!
The grass root movement was AMAZING in 2008, even in my red county to the north of Dallas. Our county convention had to be moved to a larger locaton and lasted 24 hours because they were not used to having soooo many people there ..yes, 24 hours. They had to get a waiver from the state for it to run into the next day since by state law it was supposed to held on a particular day. It. was. amazing.
So while the country may still see Texas as red on election night, local repukes are very much feeling threatened and that is why they are up to dirty tricks
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)TBF
(32,111 posts)who happens to be Hispanic and may just fire up some people to vote. Texas good 'ole boys won't be having any of that ...
We've got a lot of labor in South Texas - if we get them to the polls we're looking purple and then blue much sooner than you might think.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)TBF
(32,111 posts)most promising dem up and coming in Texas is Julian Castro, the very popular mayor of San Antonio. He was the keynote speaker at the democratic convention. I don't know if he'll try for governor or go straight to running for president either in 2016 or 2020.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Most of the big cities in Texas and the counties that surround them are blue. The Republican fucknuts have gerrymandered voting districts till hell won't have it and once you throw in minority registration purges and bullshit voter ID laws, you wind up with an even stronger GOP criminal enterprise. It's the same bossism which has dominated politics in the South since Reconstruction. Only the players have changed.
ananda
(28,885 posts)We are now unrepresented.
Indpndnt
(2,391 posts)Makes me wonder what data they have that makes them spend so much here. I'm very happy about the commercials, though! I enjoy them and their existence here gives me hope.
Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)Lars39
(26,117 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,047 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,047 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)glinda
(14,807 posts)Massive voter rights suppression it appears.
nanabugg
(2,198 posts)arcane1
(38,613 posts)I have no answer for it
Indpndnt
(2,391 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)Why waste the postage? I thought Texas was hurting.
azurnoir
(45,850 posts)they don't know they're dead, someone needs to tell them lest there be a zombie apocalypse or something
salin
(48,955 posts)this year? Wouldn't it be really easy to check tax records? Oh, that's right they don't care if they take money from people who are likely to vote dem (because they are alive and paying taxes) they just want to prevent them from voting.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)how people who aren't dead end up on these lists...
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)looks up all John Smiths listed as Democrats on the voter registration rolls, removes ALL of them as dead. Doesn't do the same for Republican John Smiths.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)WolverineDG
(22,298 posts)You simply register to vote.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)rainbow4321
(9,974 posts)The Dems organizing it were able to give us addresses of people who voted Dem in the last election.
So we knew what houses to hit in order to encourage them to GOTV (fliers, etc...). They just got a print out from the county, I believe. So I assume people who are up to no good can do the same. All you need is that public list.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)....where Republicans swept the House.
If you voted then you can vote now, if not than forget it.
They figure that will recreate their victory.
Diclotican
(5,095 posts)DonRedwood
It looks more and more, that the only way the republicans can win the election - is by sheating....
Diclotican
SunSeeker
(51,745 posts)Diclotican
(5,095 posts)SunSeeker
Yes, sorry about it - english is not my native language:/ And sometimes something goes wrong in the translating:/
Diclotican
SunSeeker
(51,745 posts)No apologies please, I was just trying to be funny. Your typo in writing the word "cheating" made me think of what this really looks like, namely suppression of minorities a la the KKK. Texas seems to be reverting to the Jim Crow south, all they're missing is the sheets and hoods.
Oh, and English is my second language too. Thank goodness for the Check Spelling button!
Ghost Dog
(16,881 posts)A sinister masquerade.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)SunSeeker
(51,745 posts)Iliyah
(25,111 posts)from being voted into office in local districts. But I could see Texas turning this election, light pink - LOL
oliverrams1
(60 posts)I have my ID and Voter Registration Card and ready to vote and wonder what kind of tricks will be be waiting for me at my polling place.
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)and should be unconstitutional.
Botany
(70,613 posts)1 in 5 registered voters should not be allowed to vote ..... Columbus (R) Dispatch
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)scary stuff
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)This might be fun. Can they prosecute a ghost?
LisaL
(44,974 posts)And got their registration funding cut off for their efforts.
"Harris County election officials got a bit of a surprise Friday morning when they attempted to open the county's spending account on the Texas Secretary of State's office website and found their access blocked. State officials have temporarily cut off the county's voter registration funding."
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/State-blocks-county-funding-in-dead-voters-spat-3866729.php
byeya
(2,842 posts)of 1965 seem to all be violated.
If we had an Attorney General like Bobby Kennedy, he/she'd be all over this by now.
rickyhall
(4,889 posts)Texan repugs know it's only a matter of time. Latino voters scare them to death and their numbers are still growing. Besides that if you're down and out in Texas, Tough Shit. That's why I moved back to Arkansas. It's considered redder than Texas, but it's so poor most of the people outside Little Rock survive thanks to Governor Clinton's liberal policies. And no the repugs can't win elections on their platforms alone. What happened to the repug majority? Never was...
oldsarge54
(582 posts)Who ordered this? And why just two months before elections? What is the actual breakdown of the ethnicity of those taken off the roles. When these questions are answered, call on (fill in the blank with your favorite long distance place kicker) and aim between the uprights.
nanabugg
(2,198 posts)Initech
(100,108 posts)uwep
(108 posts)Texas republicans are trying every dirty trick to maintain power in Texas. It wouldn't be as big a problem except for the fact that they are targeting the poor, elderly, young, and most ethnic groups of color.
They intend to keep this state in control of big business, and rich white people.
Rick Perry touts the job growth in the state. The majority of which keep people in poverty.
The republicans then use this to say that these people are abusing the system.
These people use God to implement their plan. Is this not using God's name in vain? Preachers openly politic. All who really are true Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists need to look into the teachings of your religions and find the true meaning that Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad, Abraham,and the many other truly religious people that used love to make their point.
There is too much hate and decisiveness in the politics of this country and in the world. We all want to live in peace, but Muslims are divided and fight one another, Christians are the same (Jim Jones, Branch Dravidian, and the many other sects that cause death and destruction).
Many are against abortion, but they rejoice in the death of doctors and the destruction of clinics. They are for killing people that themselves kill. Wake up people, honor life.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)in order to win. Pathetic bastards will end up regretting this, because what goes around, comes around!
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)rainbow4321
(9,974 posts)It refers to stats offered up by Five Thirty Eight blog about our state and it's changing demographics:
http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/12735/nationally-acclaimed-pollster-nate-silver-of-five-thirty-eight-breaks-down-texas
On Sunday, Nate Silver of the widely-read Five Thirty Eight blog (on the New York Times' website) explained the state of Texas politics and the Democrat's chances of winning the state anytime soon. Next time you're in one of those it-will-get-better conversations, you can rely on these facts to back you up. Your friends and family may need a bit more than promises to believe our state, whose shape has practically become a symbol of the GOP, is turning blue within our lifetimes. Here are some choice experts from the lengthy piece.
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)They will be some day.
Mosaic
(1,451 posts)Whites are the minority in Texas, you people should know that by now. 80,000 dead whites? I guess those voters are not dead yet. We need those votes too.
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)bkkyosemite
(5,792 posts)needs to go to the media. Too bad all 80,000 could do it. They would get the attention I'm sure. Also notify the Feds that they have a right to vote have voted for how many years and they are purposely being left off the list with no phone number where there is an answer to correct it.
efhmc
(14,733 posts)that will pretty much prove you aren't dead.
This is from the Houston Chronicle and Texas site: "The Harris County Attorney's office on Tuesday defended Tax Assessor-Collector Don Sumners' decision not to purge presumed-dead voters from the rolls until after the November election, and accused the secretary of state's office of not following the law in providing a list of 9,000 such voters to the county.
About 72,800 voters statewide have received or will receive letters telling them records suggest they may be dead and that they must act within 30 days to stay on the rolls. The list was generated by the secretary of state using the Social Security Administration's master death file, as outlined in a new state law.
"The notice from the secretary of state did not make the required determination that the voters on the list were deceased," County Attorney Vince Ryan said, adding that two of his attorneys received the letters. "This action by the Texas secretary of state is outrageous, wrong, and unlawful."
Ryan also said the state cannot force Sumners, as the county voter registrar, to send the letters.
A spokesman for Secretary of State Hope Andrade disagreed, saying the office followed the law and that the provision requiring the office to verify a voter's death before notifying the counties has been superseded by a more recent law."
LisaL
(44,974 posts)got their registration funding cut off.
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/State-blocks-county-funding-in-dead-voters-spat-3866729.php
efhmc
(14,733 posts)I think Houston will win this one.
LisaL
(44,974 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)oldsarge54
(582 posts)In two state congressional districts, considered to be "yellow dog" Democrat districts, two men presented themselves to run unopposed for the Democrat party. There was no Republican opponent. They are elected, show up to Austin, and shazzam! They are Republicans, and Perry has a Democrat proof state house. Now, shame on us for not vetting them properly, but also shame on them for ethics.
ck4829
(35,094 posts)valerief
(53,235 posts)Looks like voting Democratic in Texas is suicide.
jimmydwight
(41 posts)That she is a republican. They would put her back in the system in a heartbeat.
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)Coyotl
(15,262 posts)Many of them are still with DOJ
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)The repubs complained about ACRON because they registered people to vote and now they cry voter fraud and then become the largest violators of voter fraud. Maybe it is time to purge the repubs from office who are committing voter fraud.