Just returned from Early Voting. They asked for my Drivers License until I raised a stink.

[Mugsy]

I just returned from Early Voting here in Houston.

The lady at the row of check-in desks that took my Voters Registration Card said, "I also need your Drivers License". Their laptops they were using all card swipe-scanners plugged into them.

I said.... with my wallet with my drivers license deliberately visible, "You need my drivers license? Since when?"

"Since always."

Total bullshit. Last November, every voter was handed a flyer telling voters they need to get a government issued photo ID in anticipation of the Voter ID bill that was due to pass next year (2012) which the DoJ blocked. I've been Early Voting at this location for 11 years.

I challenged her. "And what if you don't have a drivers license?" I asked, again with my license clearly visible so she knew I wasn't trying to "get away" with anything.

The lady next to her then said, "Do you still live at this address?"

"Yes."

"Then you don't need to show ID."

I wonder how many people didn't get to early vote because they were wrongly told they require a Government Issued Photo ID? I'm pissed.

[LiberalFighter]

1. What state are you in?

And how are poll workers selected to work? Are poll workers allotted evenly? If there is a Republican Judge there has to be Democratic Judge. If Republican Clerk a Democratic Clerk?

If there is balance by party then your local party needs to be pro-active about this.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. He's in Texas. I don't know the answers to the rest of your questions; I hope he does. n/t

[Mugsy]

4. Not sure

I believe election workers are all unelected volunteers that simply sign a waver.

[LiberalFighter]

27. Texas Election Law

Some excerpts from Texas Election Law

Judges for county election
The presiding judge and alternate presiding judge must be affiliated or aligned with different political parties, subject to this subsection.

Judges for primary elections
If a vacancy in the positions of both the presiding judge and the alternate judge arises after the appointments are approved and the county executive committee is not scheduled to meet before the election for which the appointments are made, the county chair may fill the vacancies without the approval of the committee.

CLERKS FOR ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL, STATE, AND COUNTY OFFICES. (a) The clerks for the general election for state and county officers or for a special election to fill a vacancy in an office regularly filled at the general election shall be selected from different political parties if possible.

What the Democratic Party does in a county regarding elections officers determines the integrity of the election. It is very important for the County Chair to understand their own duties regarding this part of the election. If they fail to have their preferred people appointed to work then they might as well quit.

We have a deadline of about 30 days before the election to fill election board positions with our own people. (Democrats) Otherwise, the county election board can go ahead and do the appointments. But past precedence has been to let each party make their appointments for as long as it takes. In a supposedly rabid Republican county we have been filling all positions before the Republicans fill theirs. In the general election it is over 500 positions that need to be filled for each side. And it is not easy as we don't have some flexibility that Texas apparently has with having different hours. All of our workers must be at the polls about 6:30am and stay until about 6:30pm or until their work is done. We do not have split shifts of any type.

[elehhhhna]

22. The Dem party people here are for SHIT.

While the reeps give free "lessons" on being a voting judge to these retired asswagons.

[yesphan]

2. You may want to mention this to

your election board.

[Mugsy]

7. Calling now

Just found the number for the Houston DNC.

[Gothmog]

10. Harris County Democratic Party contact information

I live and vote in Fort Bend County but I work in Harris county and have worked with the voter protection team. Here is the contact information for the Harris County Party

Harris County Democratic Party
1445 North Loop West, Suite 110
Houston, Texas 77008
Tel. [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[Lasher]

5. Looks like illegal voter suppression.

You might want to see if criminal charges are appropriate.

[Cal33]

24. Yes. The only thing sociopaths respond to is fear of punishment.

[JohnnyRingo]

6. If it's like most polling stations...

There's an equal representation of Dems and Repubs at the table.
I can guess which was which in your case.

[Gothmog]

8. Voter Id law is not in effect

A drivers license is not required but makes the election clerk's job easier in that they can scan the bar code on drivers' license and complete the sign-in quicker. In Texas, your voter registration certificate used to have a bar code that can be used in the check-in process (I have not checked my certificate to see if my latest certificate has a bar code). Without swiping your voter certificate or drivers' license, the election clerk has to look you up in the system and then print the form for you to sign. The swiping also allows the election official to note which primary you are voting in (in Texas, primaries are open but you can not change parties after voting in the primary for that election cycle). We used drivers' license swipes to check in for the Democratic Party County SD Conventions back in April where you had to sign a loyalty oath to support the party's candidates in order to participate.

In Texas, each polling station is suppose to have an equal number of Democratic and Republican election workers. If a precinct went for the republican candidate, then the head election judge for that precinct should be a republican and the deputy judge needs to be a Democrat. I am not sure how this is handled for early voting. We are doing split primaries in Fort Bend County this cycle and I will be an election judge from my precinct. I am suppose to do the training next week. I am usually busy working on voter protection during an election and this will be the first time that I am an election judge.

I hope that this answers your questions.

[Mugsy]

12. Thx

I once knew all that, but it's been a while.

[Gothmog]

16. No problem

I am planning on doing the election judge training next week and will see what Fort Bend County is telling election workers to do. I have attended several Democratic party traning sessions on Texas election law and I will be curious to see what is taught at this course.

[Doremus]

26. Thank you for your work.

It's good to know that one of the good guys is keeping tabs on the manipulative cretins who would take advantage just because they can get away with it.

[LiberalFighter]

28. Here in Indiana

At least my county residence.

The roll is printed up with signatures and the clerks look up the names w/o use of a computer. The voter just needs to sign by their name after ID check. In primaries they have to declare which primary they will vote of if they will vote for something else.

We have an Inspector as the top election officer which is of the party that received the highest votes for Secretary of State in the previous election for that county. Then each party has a Judge and Clerk. The Judge from the opposing party of the Inspector tags along and helps setup the night before and take care of supplies and data. There might be Assistant Judges, Assistant Clerks, and Greeters also assigned depending on the expected voter outcome. They are balanced out by party.

[sadbear]

9. Was this before or after they asked you which ballot you wanted?

[Mugsy]

14. Before

I was asked for my DL first. As noted above, it makes their job "easier", but certainly not "required". Nor have I ever been asked for it before at that location.

[sadbear]

11. And would you consider reposting this in the Texas group?

[lillypaddle]

13. Good for you

excellent job of calling "bullshit."

[Mugsy]

15. My calls.

Thx.

I called the local DNC and got someone that was very interested, asked a lot of questions, took all my contact info, and directed me to the Texas Secretary of State's office.

I called the SoS and they seemed less interested. I told the lawyer that took my call how I was asked for my DL until I challenged them on it. She asked me "which location" where this happened, and was told "Thank you". End of call.

On whole, I'm not completely satisfied anyone would bother to look into this unless Democrats raise a stink.

[Gothmog]

17. The party maintains a database of all complaints

When in doubt, it is a good idea to call the party. In past elections, there was a database maintained by-the party for all complaints and we make sure that a lawyer calls and attempts to deal with each complaint. I am not sure if the party is doing a database for the primary but I do know that we will be up with a full team for the general election. The Obama voter protection team is already signing up lawyers for the general election and the state party will be fielding a voter protection team.

[rhett o rick]

18. Every year the Rethugs get bolder in their voter suppression. We must stand our ground. nm

[midnight]

19. Sounds like election fraud...

[RebelOne]

20. For years now, I have always had to show my driver's license

to vote here in Georgia. No big deal.

[Mugsy]

21. "No big deal"

"No big deal"...

Unless you don't have a DL and must purchase a copy of your Birth Certificate and then find someone to drive you to the DMV to obtain a "free" Photo ID in time for the election. (Let's hope you found out early enough to get that Photo ID in time for November".)

Nothing about Voter Disenfranchisement is "No big deal", my friend.

[LiberalFighter]

29. How many would say no big deal

because they don't have a birth certificate or there are problems with their marriage certificate / divorce records if they are female.

Voting is a right! Not a privilege. Not everyone has a drivers license. Not everyone needs a photo ID.

[myrna minx]

31. It's essentially a poll tax on poor people and/or the elderly. n/t

[Ian David]

23. Call 1-866-Our-Vote

http://www.866ourvote.org/

[ellisonz]

25. The Republican War on Voting is in full effect. n/t

[northoftheborder]

30. In Tx, our voter reg. card has an ID bar code. I went to the clerk training, and what ID...

....is required AT THE PRESENT was gone over thoroughly; there are many ID's which are accepted if you don't have your voter reg. card, but if you have that, that is the ONLY ID you have to present. (since the law that changed that is in court.) They are going to use a computer to scan the bar code, which will be faster. I think a lot of people are confused about what they have to present. The last time i worked at the poll, a lot of people pulled out all the ID's they had, usually not bringing their voter reg. card which everyone has who has registered. It makes the line go much faster if everyone brings the voter reg. card only.

[Gothmog]

32. I just completed the election judge training for Fort Bend County

I just completed the training for being an election judge for the primary. The Fort Bend county election administrator made it very clear that one could vote with just the yellow voter registration card and that it was a violation of the voter's rights to ask for any additional identification. The only possible exception to this rule is for first time voters who registered by mail.

The DOJ will have observers in both Fort Bend and Harris Counties due to past issues. I really do not think that we will have any problems with judges trying to ask for the wrong IDs but if it does happen, call the party