Some Texas Voters Shut Out Of Primary

[Omaha Steve]

Source: CBS/AP

Several Sparsely-Populated Counties Have No Primaries Tuesday Because There Is No One To Run Them

(CBS/AP) Early voting in Texas ended late Friday, with the primary just days away.

Voting results as of Thursday have shown a large turnout among early voters - and demonstrably so among registered Democrats.

According to the Texas Secretary of State's election Web site, 717,469 Democrats have already cast ballots either in person or by mail. That's more than 9% of the state's 7,815,906 registered voters.


Elvira Arredondo casts her vote on the first day of early voting Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008 in El Paso, Texas. Early voting in the Lone State State's primaries has produced high turnout, but some counties won't be holding a primary at all. (AP/V. Calzada, El Paso Times)

Snip: But as Tuesday's primary and caucus nears, with a decision on the Democratic nominee hanging in the balance, 21 Texas counties won't even be holding primaries.



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/01/politics/main3895907.shtml

[dogman]

1. Damn! They don't even live in FL or MI.

[MaineDem]

2. Is it a party-run primary or state-run?

In either case this doesn't seem right.

[The Croquist]

4. The article says that "The highest Democratic official has to administer the primary."

The republicans have the same problem:

It sounds like 21 counties won't be holding democratic primaries and 18 won't be holding republican primaries.

"But as Tuesday's primary and caucus nears, with a decision on the Democratic nominee hanging in the balance, 21 Texas counties won't even be holding primaries."

"Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain can forget about votes in 18 West and South Texas counties."

Texas is a pretty republican state so the 21 vs. 18 doesn't sound too far fetched.

[efhmc]

3. As with so much info here on DU about Texas, this is wrong.

Anyone can run their precinct convention that takes place after the voting closes on Tuesday. They just must have enough motivation to get the information and do the job. Believe me, the Texas Democratic party will be happy to have them.

[pop goes the weasel]

5. it's not talking about the precinct conventions

It's talking about the primary altogether. Without a party in place in a county, there is no one to make sure ballots are prepared and polling places secured.