All 600,000 Texans should

[madashelltoo]

Get in line to vote and make them tell you to your face, "You can't vote." Let them know that if you are going to mess with me, it's my turn to return the favor. If they can't vote, tangle up the process. How dare America fight wars to impose democracy on other countries while denying Americans their right to vote. We should all be mortified.

[jwirr]

1. Hmm, while I like your suggestion - that could easily prevent those who can vote from getting to the

polls. Not just the Rs but the Democratic voters as well. Maybe instead of getting in the actual line there should be another line right beside the voters to demonstrate the difference.

[madashelltoo]

3. I understand what you're saying jwirr

However, since they can't vote anyway, they can go stand in some other lines too. They should be able to show up and show out regardless. What the Repugs and the Supreme Court have done is disgraceful and simply praying that enough Dems are already on the rolls with proper identification can't be their only option.

[jwirr]

5. No and the idea of a real protest is very good. It would draw a lot of attention to what is

happening.

[TheBlackAdder]

35. ONLY in R Districts, even if they don't live there. Gum up the works! nt

[GeorgeGist]

38. Separate but equal.

Sweet.

[jwirr]

41. ???

[TexasProgresive]

2. What jwrr says it right

to compound it most of these "2nd class citizens" polling places would be in dem strongholds so it would be a case of biting off the nose to spite the face.

[Downwinder]

4. Can you open carry at the polls?

[jwirr]

6. LOL. THAT would get their attention.

[dumbcat]

26. Nope. No concealed carry either

even with a license in Texas.

[Downwinder]

27. That is comforting.

[DrBulldog]

7. There. Our corrupt Supreme Court suddenly made us forget ...

... all about Ebola, didn't they? Pick your poison.

[RussBLib]

8. That could easily provide a margin of victory

...so for how long will we put up with this?

[lobodons]

9. Voter Suppersion/24th Amendment violation lists should be taken

A list should be taken of all those who tried to vote but were denied. Voter suppression lists should go viral.

[Gothmog]

24. If a voter casts a provisional ballot and that ballot is not counted, there will be a record

[GummyBearz]

10. Help me out here

I'm sorry I am not informed on this subject, could you please explain to me what is stopping certain texans from voting?

[SunSeeker]

11. Money.

It costs money to get a certified copy of your birth certificate. It costs money to take off work when there's no early or Sunday voting. It hurts the poor and African Americans just like the illegal poll taxes of the Jim Crow era.

[littlewolf]

12. checked Google and it is about

requiring a photo ID to vote.

[GummyBearz]

14. This is where im confused

Can someone clear this up please...

Requiring a birth certificate seems way over board. But a photo ID doesn't seem very disruptive to typical daily life, as one is also required to drive, buy tobacco, buy alcohol...

[SunSeeker]

17. A photo ID costs money.

It may be hard for you to relate, but when you have to take time off work to get one of these new photo ID cards, it means your kids might not eat that day. Many poor and elderly do not have photo ID. They don't drive. They don't have a car. Plus, even if there is no fee for the ID itself, it costs time and money to get the documents needed to get that ID, such as a certified birth certificate. ALEC knew exactly what it was doing when it wrote these voter ID laws. These laws disenfranchise poor, mostly Democratic voters. And for what? Impersonation type voter fraud, which voter ID laws are purportedly designed to combat, is virtually nonexistent.


I am surprised that someone who posts on DU is not already aware of this.

[GummyBearz]

19. Thanks

I apologize for not being aware. I don't live in texas and am trying to gather information from more informed people such as yourself. However, the demeaning tone of your last sentence kind of makes me want to just go back under a rock in california

[SunSeeker]

30. Sorry. Lot of concern trolls here. I guess they've made me cynical. nt

[Thor_MN]

20. Can't get the photo ID without the birth certificate,

proof of name change(divorce, marriage), etc. The conservatives are trying to make it as difficult as possible to vote, as the people that are most likely not to have a photo ID skew Democratic.

I another post, I read where a DU member's father recently moved to Wisconsin. He went to the DMV and was tols, no, he had to go to another one, much further away. HE had a certified copy of of his birth certificate and his license from the state ho moved from. He was told, no, you need the "Original" birth certificate. He drove home, dug around got the other document, drove back and was told, no, that's a hospital record of live birth. They were running him all over the place, which was bullshit, because the only place an "original" certificate exists is in the country records where one was born and no one holds their original cert. It's birtherism applied to everyone who might appear to lean liberal.

[jeff47]

37. This would be a 'privilege' situation.

Sure, you and I can show our driver's licenses. But:

1) I had to get an official copy of my birth certificate to get it - which costs money.

2) I had to go to the DMV during "business" hours to get it. Easy for me to say "i'm gonna be out tomorrow morning", but I don't punch a time clock.

3) I had to pay a fee to the DMV to get it.

4) I had to supply a utility bill to confirm my address. In fact, this turned out to be a problem - my wife set up the utilities and gave her name when she did so. We had to change one to be in my name. Which would have required paying a deposit if I didn't have good credit.

5) I had to be able to afford a car to get it - no reason to get one without a car. Not to mention you have to supply the car for your behind-the-wheel test.

Think about someone barely scraping by working two 30-hour-a-week minimum wage jobs. Getting that ID isn't easy for them.

[GeorgeGist]

39. Driving is not required to vote.

[Downwinder]

40. If you do not drive and bar hop why do you need an I.D?

Last edited Sun Oct 19, 2014, 07:32 PM - Edit history (1)

Plus if you do not drive and there is no Public Transportation it is difficult to get to a DPS office which may not be in your county.

Perhaps driving to obtain an I.D. would be a reasonable defense for driving without a license?

It is an arbitrary impediment to voting. People falsifying identity always have lots of I.D. (i.e. check fraud).

Have you, anybody you know or have heard of gone to the polls and been told "i'm sorry, we show that you have already voted?" That is not something someone would keep quiet about.

[SunSeeker]

18. Getting a photo ID costs time and money. nt

[madashelltoo]

13. The Supreme Court upheld

The Texas voter identification law that the other Federal Court said was blatantly discriminating. So, if you live in Texas or go to school there and you don't have one of the seven forms of I.d. On the list, you can't vote. No student I.d. If your I.d. Does not match what is on the voter role, you can't vote.

[Gothmog]

23. This was not a decision on the merits

In theory, this decision was only on whether to change the rules so close to an election. There will be a hearing on the merits later.

[madashelltoo]

34. However this decision was reached,

It disenfranchises approximately 600,000 people in THIS election. Shrugging and dismissing it does not work. Afterwards, they will use the results to justify keeping it in place. Then, the precedence will be used to take it across the entire country. The judicial okie doke doesn't work anymore.

[littlemissmartypants]

15. Kicking. Thank you. nt

[jtuck004]

16. It's called a plantation. And it will rule until enough of the right people want to end it. n/t

[blkmusclmachine]

21. What America wants to impose on other nations is NOT "democracy."

Read the WH transcript to Obama's 2014 Prayer Breakfast speech -- Obama champions "weaponized Christianity" as good foreign policy to combat what he refers to as "an attack on Christianity." What we hope to spread to other nations is RELIGION. CHRISTIANITY. In essence, our wars with the Middle East are partly RELIGIOUS.

Here you go:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/02/06/remarks-president-national-prayer-breakfast

[Gothmog]

22. Rep. Castro requests GAO analysis of Texas voter turnout under voter id law

Part of the long term plan to deal with voter id is to build a record of the number of voters who disenfranchised. The DNC is keeping records together with Battleground Texas and the Texas Democratic Party. Last week, at the request of Senators Leahy and Sanders, the Government Accounting Office released a study showing that there was a 2 to 3% decline in voting in Kansas and Tennessee due to voter id. Congressman Castro requested on Friday that the GAO do a similar study on Texas. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Rep-Castro-asks-GAO-to-analyze-impact-of-Texas-5830557.php We need to encourage all voters to show up and atleast cast a provision ballot to document the effects of the voter id law.

[Gothmog]

25. Texas DUers can volunteer to help people get ids

The Texas Democratic Party and DNC Voter Expansion Project are looking for volunteers for Voter Id Assistant Program to help people get ids. http://act.txdemocrats.org/page/s/texas-voter-expansion-project I am volunteering with the voter id assistant program.

[CTyankee]

29. good for you! I always thought that was the best way to solve this problem short of a change

in the law. I'm so glad to hear about it!

[NaturalHigh]

28. Just curious:

Where does the 600,000 number come from? What did I miss?

[Gothmog]

31. The DOJ has a couple of experts testify as to the number of people who would be affected by the law

This number is from a couple of these expert reports and is cited in the judge's opinion

[NaturalHigh]

32. Got it. I hadn't heard that.

Thanks for the info.

[CanonRay]

33. Go to Republican precincts and just stand in line

Make THEM wait for six hours. When you get to the front, argue about not getting to vote for a half hour or so. Sauce for the goose...

[TheBlackAdder]

36. Minorities could Open Carry, the legal distance away from the pollling places, in 'R' Districts.

Give FOX News something to cry about.

Just have the cameras rolling when SWAT shows up.