Battleground Texas Runs into State Registration Laws

[TexasTowelie]

HOUSTON (AP) - The liberal-leaning group aiming to register thousands of new voters to help Democrats says Texas laws have made it harder to keep its volunteers eligible.

Battleground Texas expects thousands of its deputy voter registrars to lose their state certification at the end of this year.

Texas law allows registrars to serve two-year terms that expire at the end of even-number years.

Battleground Texas volunteer registrars will have to go undergo training before they can be re-certified to register new voters.

Read more: http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Battleground-Texas-Runs-into-State-Registration-Laws-286836091.html

[Downwinder]

1. I thought you just handed out the applications.

[Gothmog]

3. VDRs do more than hand out registration cards

I have been a volunteer deputy registrar for a couple of election cycles. A VDR helps the voter fill out the application, gives the voter a receipt for their application and then takes the applications to the county within 5 business days. The county gives the VDR a receipt for the applications and the party can track and make sure that the applicant are actually added to the voting rolls. VDR registration is on a county by county basis and for people who live in other counties, VDRs can give them the application and the voter has to put this into the mail.

This is an important job and the State of Texas made it harder to do a couple of years ago. Initially, these restrictive rules were found to be void by a federal judge in Galveston (Greg Costa) but the 5th Cir. overruled Judge Costa's opinion. Judge Costa is now on the 5th Circuit.

[elleng]

2. Surprised?

Dems/Progressives have HUGE work to do in the states. Repugs have been doing it for years. They will sink us forever if we let them.

[Gothmog]

4. My County Party and one of the clubs are planning to register VDRs early next year

The County is the only group who can train and certify VDRs. The county parties work with the counties to schedule large training sessions to get as many VDRs trained as possible. I know that Harris County Democratic Party has an event scheduled in early January and my county is talking about a similar event. I think that the Harris County Democratic Party event is schedule for around Jan. 24 and I may attend. My county is still trying to figure out when to schedule a training session.

I know that Battleground is working on this issue but I plan on working with my county party. I registered voters with Battleground at a couple of events last cycle and will do so again.