Texas AG Ken Paxton seeks emergency stay to block motor voter law fixes

[TexasTowelie]

AUSTIN — Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday to block an order by a district judge that would force Texas to fix its online voter registration system, which was found in violation of federal law.

Earlier this month, District Judge Orlando Garcia of San Antonio issued an opinion that said Texas' online registration practices were in violation of the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, which was enacted to simplify the voter registration process. Garcia then gave a tight deadline to fix the problems before the November elections.

Instead, Paxton objected to proposals to fix the law and appealed the case to the 5th Circuit. On Friday, he requested an emergency stay from the appeals court to avoid what his office called "costly steps to alter its voter registration procedures under extremely tight deadlines." Garcia had ordered a solution in 45 days.

Paxton's office said that the order would force Texas to engage in "unnecessary monitoring activities not required by federal law" and said three people who filed the suit did not have standing to do so.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2018/05/25/texas-ag-ken-paxton-seeks-emergency-stay-block-motor-voter-law-fixes

[elleng]

1. costly steps to alter its voter registration procedures to enable 'THEM' to vote.

[Gothmog]

2. The TRCP won a great victory here

[yellowdogintexas]

3. New drivers in Texas are supposed to be offered voter registration when they get their licenses

However, the forms are often not delivered from the DMV offices (a state agency) to the County Elections Offices, which manage voter registration for each county.

Why this is so hard astounds me, since filling out the form, signing it and dropping it in a bin to be mailed daily to the County Elections Commission would basically take five minutes, once a day on the part of the DMV.

As an Election Judge, I have turned away potential voters whose registration forms never made it to the Electons Office. We always hand them voter registration forms, which can be filled out on the spot and given back to us. We have a Special Envelope for those, and for address changes, so we know they get there. Every step of transport to the central office from the precinct is tightly controlled. Registration info is sealed in a special envelope, which is put in a bag, which is dropped off at the collection location and transported from there to the Elections office. New voters and those with corrections should receive their new voter registration cards within 45 days.

For weeks ahead of the registration deadline prior to the next election, facebook is covered with discussion of verifying your voter registration, and the location of your registered precinct. If you know this information you will know where to vote on Election Day if you do not early vote.

If voters could register online, directly with Elections, it would be simpler. There are online forms, but you must print them out, sign and mail them. I have turned away voters who did not do that.

WHen you move, change your address with Elections, as well as the DMV. The DMV will not do this for you. If your voter registration card is returned as undeliverable to the Elections Office for two consecutive election cycles, your name will be purged from the voter lists and you will need to re-register.