BREAKING: Gov. Abbott issues proclamation CLOSING (as of Oct. 2) satellite offices where voters can

[demmiblue]

BREAKING: Gov. Abbott issues proclamation CLOSING (as of Oct. 2) satellite offices where voters can drop off completed mail-in ballots.
Counties can only have 1 dropoff point, he says.
Travis has 4, including 3 downtown.
Harris has 12.

Abbott says move, which also requires early voting clerks to let poll watchers observe ballot delivery, is an election security measure.
Clerks said the multiple dropoff spots were to help voters, particularly amid questions about Postal Service efficiency.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[dalton99a]

1. Another voter suppression move.

[AleksS]

2. How blatant do they have to be before

even they realize that they’re the baddies?

I would have imagined blatantly trying to make it harder for people to vote would be a clue. But nope.

[Crunchy Frog]

16. Im sure they already know they're the baddies.

He probably keeps a mustache at home just for twirling.

[Caliman73]

19. They are never the bad guys in their eyes.

Conservatives believe that they are rightly ordained to rule. Conservative ideology is the descendent of the monarchy and aristocracy of old. They truly believe that they are ordained to rule because why else would the be rich and powerful if not because god wanted them to be in charge.

They have a large capacity to delude themselves into thinking that their suppression of voters and use of their power to subvert democracy is for the best.

They likely will never see that they are in fact, the bad actors in this situation.

[madaboutharry]

3. Another Dick.

[demmiblue]

4. Note section 2: they're going to make the voter show ID in order to put an absentee ballot in a drop

Note section 2: they’re going to make the voter show ID in order to put an absentee ballot in a drop box with partisan poll watchers looking over their shoulder as they do

Link to tweet

[yellowdogintexas]

47. Texas Election Code does not allow "drop boxes"; This is nothing new

There is ONE location for hand delivering a ballot if one does not want to vote in person: the ELections Office. This is according to the Texas Election Code and has been in force for a long time

The only new part of the Governor's proclamation was the postponment of the runoff elections, the extension of Early Voting an extra 5 days, plus ballots can be taken to Elections Office during the entire Early voting period. Until this year, voters could only turn in these ballots on Election Day.


If one does hand deliver the ballot, one is essentially voting in person so ID is required.

The voter goes to the Elections Office, shows ID and turns in the ballot, which goes on to be counted.
Most personally delivered ballots happen because the voters waited too long to mail it in; this year we have USPS issues and COVID to the Elections Office, and we expect a heavy turnout.

If the ballot is brought to a regular voting location, it can't just be dropped off. Instead, you are checked in with ID as you would if you did not have a mail in ballot, you surrender the ballot and go vote on the equipment. The unvoted mail in ballots go back to the Elections Office.

This also is nothing new; I have been doing it for 5 years as an Election Judge.

There is no "drop box" at the voting centers (or anywhere else)
We have always had to show ID when we turn in a mail in ballot at the ELections Office or surrender it at the polls

It is highly unlikely poll watchers will be hanging about the Elections Office to watch folks hand a sealed ballot over to a clerk

Poll watchers in TX are required to register with the ELections Office, will be asked to sign in at the voting center, and will be issued a badge which identifies them as poll watchers. There are very strict rules about what they can or cannot do. Election Judges will not allow them to intimidate or aggravate the voters. In the five years I have served as an Elections Worker I have never seen a Poll Watcher.

If anyone tries to pose as a poll watcher, or pull any stunts and hassle voters, they will be shown the door and if they refuse, law enforcement will arrive shortly.

I am far more concerned with bad actors showing up outside the 100 foot marker and causing a ruckus out there.

[Laelth]

5. Voter suppression. Sigh.

There’s no evidence that a higher number of drop-off locations increases the probability of fraud, but Abbott is doing this, regardless, to quell his and his party’s irrational fears.

Irrational fears ... the bedrock of the Republican Party. I am really sick of these emotionally-undeveloped children.

-Laelth

[Tommymac]

13. Not Fears - It is and has been SOP for the Rethuglican's to suppress the vote.

Been going on the 6+ decades of my life.

The 'Thugs are a minority party - always have been always will be. It is in their best self-interest to suppress the vote - it's the best way they can maintain their minority rule.

When Dems turn out Dems win. It's just that today We have to turn out in huge numbers to overcome the sophistication of modern suppression methods.

We desperately have to return to the principle of Majority Rule in this country or the American Experiment will come to an inglorious and sad end.

[Caliman73]

23. They do not fear fraud. They fear democracy.

It has been well known in Republican circles that decreasing the amount of participation in voting by the average citizen is a key to retaining power for them.

Republican policies are geared almost entirely for the wealthiest people. Even with their culture wars, they can only activate about 30% or slightly more, of the population consistently. They are a small bloc, but reliable; so they have to find ways to suppress the vote of the much larger, but much less motivated, group of voters who support more egalitarian policies of the Democratic Party. Making it even slightly harder to vote, and the constant lies and smears about "socialism" and the "radical left" coming to take your job, your guns, your families, your ability to speak your mind (aka be racist without consequence)... and there you have it.

They know there is no voter fraud to speak of. They know that if there are any election shenanigans like elections fraud, that typically it is Republicans who are engaged. They know all of this. They are not afraid of fraud. They count on it to combat what they are really afraid of, everyone who can vote, actually voting.

[scarletwoman]

35. Well said! Succinct prcis of Republican voter suppression motivation and method.

[Faux pas]

6. EFFER

Just like the rest of the soulless rethugs.

[greenjar_01]

7. Jaysus...they're really worried about Texas, or at least the Texas state house

[C_U_L8R]

8. Lawsuit in 5, 4, 3, 2....

The despots are showing their desperation.

[TeamPooka]

22. yup

[OnDoutside]

33. Marc Elias will be on the case for sure.

[Botany]

41. Even a Trump or w appointed judge will have a ...

... hard time not striking down that order.

Btw why are they making it so hard to vote?

I see a BIG BLUE BEAUTIFUL TEXAS this fall.

[MontanaMama]

9. They need to be sued.

NOW.

[jorgevlorgan]

10. Does texas have a lot of very large counties?

Would most people be able to drive to he one drop off location?

[jpljr77]

11. Harris County (Houston) has 4 million+ people. They HAD 12 dropoff locations, per the tweets.

But it looks like that is being reduced to one, mostly likely in downtown Houston, the 4th largest city in the U.S.

To use the phrase of the week, this is going to be a shitshow (by design).

[jorgevlorgan]

12. Absolutely disgusting

[jpljr77]

15. It's also very large for such a populous county, more than 1,700 sq. mi. That's why it's going to be

such a huge problem. Dallas is a little better because it and Fort Worth actually cross several counties, all of which are much smaller than Harris County.

But yes, for the record, the Governor of Texas signed a proclamation ordering one ballot dropoff location for a county of 4 million people covering 1,700 square miles. It's unimaginable.

[demmiblue]

21. Check out this graphic:

Link to tweet

[Mersky]

38. He's intentionally putting more populated counties at a disadvantage

Harris County is huge by geographic and population measures. He wants every voter to travel and park in downtown to drop off ballots? Does he even know the state he is supposed to govern?

Thinking of various other counties, he’s gonna f’ck up the vote in all sorts of places. The hateful, short-sighted idiot is going to harm all voters in the state.

[demmiblue]

17. And Harris County is the third most populous county in the country. n/t

[tibbir]

39. Harris County is about 1,800 square miles

Could be pretty freaking tough to get to 1 drop off location. PLUS we have to show our ID when we do drop off - I can only imagine how long the lines will be. Asshole.

[yellowdogintexas]

53. Oh yes

Harris County Houston metro 4th largest in the nation
Fort/Worth Dallas
San Antonio
Austin
El Paso

if the Fort Worth Dallas Metroplex were considered one city the population would be around 7 million.

[qazplm135]

14. Tells me they are scared

Of losing Texas.

[LisaL]

18. Yes they certainly are.

It ain't as red as it used to be.

[11 Bravo]

20. The motherfuckers don't even PRETEND any more.

[Celerity]

51. took the words right out of my mouth

[Paladin]

24. Whatever it takes, Texans: Cast your vote against trump. (nt)

[FelineOverlord]

25. THE FIGHT IS ON

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[littlemissmartypants]

29. Nice to see Beto call BS. Now can we call Abbott Governor Asshole?

[usaf-vet]

40. Works for me! Based on all the evidence I have seen. Governor Abbott Asshole is suppressing voting..

.. and the asshole knows it!

[yellowdogintexas]

48. Counties can't set up drop boxes or alternate locations. in Texas. This is nothing new.

at least we can take them in throughout the voting period instead of only on Election Day as in the past

Our early voting has been extended an extra 5 days.

We can vote at any location on Election Day in many of our counties.

Tarrant county has 300 voting locations on Election Day and a voter can go to any of them. There will be plenty of places to vote. All the high population counties now have this system. No worries about too few places to vote.

[ananda]

49. Yes, I am now inclined to vote in person..

.. during early voting.

[yellowdogintexas]

52. read my post above. If you have an absentee ballot, take it with you

it will make things go much smoother at the polls.

[ananda]

56. Thanks

I will.

[BeckyDem]

26. See what I mean, red states will work in concert with further voter suppression.

These creeps love Trump's America and intend to keep it that way.

[mac56]

27. They can't win a fair fight.

[iluvtennis]

36. Ditto. nt

[kimbutgar]

28. Maybe the current mail in votes are overwhelming for Biden and they want to stop the state going

For Biden and Democratic candidates.

[yellowdogintexas]

50. um how are they going to know that at this point in time when we just got our ballots this week?

They are sealed when they go in and numbers are not run until Election Day and we don't register by party so how are they going to know?

NO one knows those numbers until Election day.

Look I hate Abbott and the whole Republican state government.

You have no idea how much.

We far to much to get done in the next month to run off the rails about Abbot enforcing a part of the Texas Election Code.

[kimbutgar]

55. The ballots sent out wouldn't they have a party preference in the original request?

[BSdetect]

30. Make all Federal elections run under Federal rules.

Changes like this ought to be prohibited after early voting starts.

[Lonestarblue]

31. More voter suppression, along with all the poll closings of the last several years.

Limiting drop boxes to one per county will just force more voters to vote in person or many may choose not to vote at all. Harris County (Houston) has a population of more than 4 million people, now with one drop box. King County Texas has a population of under 500 people—with one drop box for the county. Abbott’s action is blatant voter suppression.

In addition, Texas has closed more polling sites than any other state, and of course they’re in primarily Latino and Black areas.

“Last year, Texas led the US south in an unenviable statistic: closing down the most polling stations, making it more difficult for people to vote and arguably benefiting Republicans.

A report by civil rights group The Leadership Conference Education Fund found that 750 polls had been closed statewide since 2012.
...
The closures could exacerbate Texas’s already chronically low voter turnout rates, to the advantage of incumbent Republicans. Ongoing research by University of Houston political scientists Jeronimo Cortina and Brandon Rottinghaus indicates that people are less likely to vote if they have to travel farther to do so, and the effect is disproportionately greater for some groups of voters, such as Latinxs.“

The Guardian article has an interactive chart showing the number of people per polling site and how that number has increased in many areas.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/02/texas-polling-sites-closures-voting

[Illumination]

32. Election security measure? LOL!!! During a pandemic making it harder for Americans to vote?!

So tired of all this f***ery! Will have NO sympathy for the wrath that awaits these cheating republicans...

[cayugafalls]

34. Of course he is. Dumpo the Clown is losing and this is just another effort to suppress votes.

The only game they have is to cheat and suppress voting.

They are criminals and losers and need to be voted out of office. Texas will go blue, if not this time, then next. It will happen.

[LiberalFighter]

37. A database needs to be compiled of these disrupters and go after them later.

[C Moon]

42. Keep it up! We'll know who to investigate when Biden & our new congress and senate are ready.

And this time it's not going to be like it was after Bush and Cheney left office: we're coming after you, and you will do federal time.

[Prince99]

43. Get this on Twitter

I think this is where we are headed. I picked it up from an earlier thread.

THEY DO NOT FEAR FRAUD. THEY FEAR DEMOCRACY!

[sdfernando]

44. The rethugs are losing Texas. This is one of thast ditch efforts to suppress enough voters

to squeak out a win.

[onetexan]

45. the Damn SOB!!!

been so bz all day i just now found out. Pissed!!! Hoping the challenge w/ win. This is outright voter suppression by Rethugs

[bluestarone]

46. All i can say is I'm very proud of you Texans that fight these ASSHOLES that make it so hard for you

I'm sure everyone here is proud of you as well!! I would be so fucking mad if i lived in that state (county) i just gotta give you ALL a big hat tip. TY all. WE NEED TEXAS!!!

[RussBLib]

54. sue for an injunction

asap

this is just raw power against the densely populated Dem cities

sue for an injunction