Judge gives Texas less than two months to implement online voter registration for drivers

[Gothmog]

This is great news https://www.texastribune.org/2018/05/21/judge-gives-texas-two-months-implement-online-voter-registration-drive/

A federal judge has given Texas less than two months to implement online voter registration for residents who update their driver's license information online — a mandate that could introduce the first form of online voter registration in the state if the order withstands the appeal that is likely to follow.

Pointing to registration deadlines for the November election, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in a Friday filing created a 45-day deadline for the state to create the online system in order to comply with federal law. Garcia had previously ruled that Texas was violating the federal National Voter Registration law, often called the Motor Voter Act, which is designed to ease the voter registration process.

Texans can already register in person at Department of Public Safety offices, but not when they renew their licenses online. Texans updating their driver’s licenses online were instead directed to a registration form on the secretary of state’s website that they then had to print out and send to their county registrar.

The state must now correct course after violating federal law “for several years” and submit within within two weeks a proposal for a public education plan to inform drivers of the option to register online, Garcia said.

[BigmanPigman]

1. Why did Texas go red/GOP?

Ann Richards was so fantastic...what happened to the population who elected her?

[elleng]

2. Some history:

'The 1994 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994 to elect the Governor of Texas. Incumbent Democratic Governor Ann Richards was defeated in her bid for re-election by Republican nominee George W. Bush, the son of former President George H. W. Bush.

Although prior to the election year, Governor Ann Richards held a large approval rating as the state economy was strong into the mid-term election. George Bush's campaigning on cultural and religious issues resonated with many Texan voters and Governor Richards' lead over Bush significantly narrowed up to election day into a tossup.

On election day, Bush carried 188 of the state's 254 counties, while Richards carried 66. Exit polls revealed that Bush won overwhelmingly among white voters (69% to 31%) while Richards performed well among African Americans (83% to 15%) and Latinos (75% to 25%). The 1994 election marked the last time that a Democrat won more than 45% of the vote in a Texas gubernatorial election and was the last election in which the Democrats won any statewide offices.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_gubernatorial_election,_1994

[Gothmog]

3. Nixon's southern strategy changed everything

What happened to Texas was an example of Nixon's southern strategy working on steroids. Racism moved Texas into the Red state column.

The trends show that Texas will turn blue due to demographic changes. The Texas gop is trying to delay this with things like voter id, gerrymandering and "show me your papers laws".

[hurl]

4. Apathy among many

In my opinion, a couple of factors worked together to turn Texas red: Voter apathy due to mostly good economic conditions in the state for years combined with the rise of evangelicals very dedicated about voting at every opportunity at every level, giving them power beyond their numbers.

For example, voter apathy is why the Texas State Board of Education went extreme, which in turn impacted school children nationwide due to the state's ability to influence textbook publishers.

It has been said that Texas isn't so much a red state as a non-voting state. Our turnout is pathetic. Turning that around is key to any Democratic resurgence.

[Gothmog]

5. Texas is appealing

Link to tweet