Texas GOP Bill to Bar Drive-Thru Voting Advances

Texas GOP Bill to Bar Drive-Thru Voting Advances

Texas state Republican lawmakers Wednesday advanced a bill that would bar drive-thru voting, legislation critics say is aimed at the state’s largest county, a Democratic stronghold where more than 100,000 voters cast ballots from their cars in the November election.

Texas House Bill 4322 aims to change the state Election Code so each polling place has to be inside a building and cannot be in tent, temporary structure, movable structure, parking garage or parking lot facilities primarily designed for motor vehicles. Republicans in the Texas House Elections Committee advanced it with a 5-4 vote along party lines Wednesday.

Then-Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins rolled out drive-thru voting with resounding success for the November elections, as more than 127,000 people cast votes in this manner, with residents of the county seat Houston raving about how easy it was, how it only took 10 to 20 minutes and expressing hope it would be an option for future elections.

www.courthousenews.com/texas-gop-bill-to...hru-voting-advances/

This seems slightly odd if the goal of TX GOP is to enforce voter ID laws. People driving up to a polling place would more than likely have an ID - their license.

"with residents of the county seat Houston raving about how easy it was..."

Were they registered voters?

Of course they were.

When a voter arrives at a polling location, the voter will be asked to present one of the seven (7) acceptable forms of photo ID (listed below). If a voter does not possess an acceptable form of photo identification and cannot reasonably obtain one, the voter may present a supporting form of identification and execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration, noting the voter’s reasonable impediment to obtaining an acceptable form of photo identification, stating that the information contained in the declaration is true, that the voter is the same individual personally appearing at the polling place to sign the declaration, and that the voter faces a reasonable impediment to procuring an acceptable form of photo identification. If a voter has continued access to their acceptable form of photo ID, but, for example, forgets to bring their acceptable form of approved photo ID to the polling place and/or left it, for example, at home or in their car, the voter still possesses the acceptable photo ID and must use it to vote.

Election officials are required to determine whether the voter’s name on the identification (acceptable form of photo ID or supporting form of ID (if applicable)) provided matches the name on the official list of registered voters (“OLRV”). After a voter presents their ID, whether it’s an acceptable form of photo ID or a supporting form of ID (if applicable), the election worker will compare it to the OLRV. If the name on the ID matches the name on the list of registered voters, the voter will follow the regular procedures for voting.

If the name does not match exactly but is “substantially similar” to the name on the OLRV, the voter will be permitted to vote as long as the voter signs an affidavit stating that the voter is the same person on the list of registered voters.

If a voter does not possess an acceptable form of photo ID, cannot reasonably obtain one, and does not have or does not bring a supporting form of ID to present in connection with a Reasonable Impediment Declaration, or if the voter does not possess an acceptable form of photo ID and can reasonably obtain an acceptable form of photo ID, or if the voter possesses, but did not bring with them, an acceptable form of photo ID, the voter may cast a provisional ballot at the polls. However, in order to have the provisional ballot counted the voter will be required to visit the county voter registrar’s office within six calendar days of the date of the election to either present an acceptable form of photo ID OR, if the voter does not possess and cannot reasonably obtain an acceptable form of photo ID, follow the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure, or, if applicable, submit one of the temporary affidavits addressed in these FAQs (religious objection or natural disaster) in the presence of the county voter registrar, or, if applicable, qualify for the disability exemption addressed in these FAQs with the county voter registrar.

Shouldn't common sense voting requirements affect each parties voters equally?

Not if they have different traditional voting habits.

Wayne Harrison wrote: Not if they have different traditional voting habits.

That's a new one, LOL. So now we have to bend to the habits of different groups so they'll be able to vote?

No, but since we have one of the lowest voter participation rates among the major nations, we should help make it LESS difficult to vote, not more. We should be encouraging citizens to get cast their ballots, not making it harder on them.

My personal opinion is U.S. citizens should be automatically registered when they turn 18 and voters should be dropped from the rolls just because they didn't vote in the last couple of years. I'm also for shortening political campaigns.

I also think tossing out voter fraud accusations, when each state certified its election was correct and honest, is un-American.

And I disagree. If someone doesn't want to participate in our democracy, they should have that right. They shouldn't be automatically registered. I would prefer less, fully informed voters to many voters who don't keep up with the news and just vote in presidential election years.

Wayne Harrison wrote:
My personal opinion is U.S. citizens should be automatically registered when they turn 18 and voters should be dropped from the rolls just because they didn't vote in the last couple of years. I'm also for shortening political campaigns.
.

Our bloated and clueless government doesn't even purge all the dead people from voter rolls. My mom lived with us 20 years ago and I still get her damn ballot every year. If a person is so stupid that they can't figure out how to vote, do you really want that person deciding who runs the country? Never mind, I understand the Democrat strategy, that's exactly what they want.

It's the responsibility of each individual county clerk, which is the "government." But I'm guessing half the thousands of county clerks across the United States are Republican.

It's also the responsibility of the family of the deceased to notify the county clerk in the event of death.

Lastly, I don't believe your statement, that you still get ballots for her even though she died 20 years ago.