Texas
Related: About this forumTexas Senator Carol Alvarado is filibustering the voter suppression bill
Last edited Thu Aug 12, 2021, 12:41 PM - Edit history (2)
Link to tweet
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Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Not completely settled to post continually just yet. Tune in and add comments.
Now reading testimony from a resident of Carrollton, Tx
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Not completely settled to post continually just yet. Tune in and add comments.
Now reading testimony from a resident of Carrollton, Tx
Mersky
(4,981 posts)TexasTowelie
(112,166 posts)Thank you for the thread, I was about to post a link to the Texas Tribune coverage, but since you have livestream...
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Daughter of a veteran, her read testimony speaks to the unfairness of criminalizing assistants within the bill
ColinC
(8,291 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Enough are present in the Senate for the filibustering
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Daughter of a Taiwanese immigrant whose mother had to wait 40 years to vote as a naturalized citizen.
Testimony to the point out that one would have to sign a form to give folks rides to the polls those who may or may not be blood relatives, but nonetheless are as family
Does not want the limitations to prevent naturalized citizens from receiving assistance
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Creating a confrontational atmosphere if theyre given too much authority
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Saying that a poll watcher or worker* hovered around her within 3 ft! That this was at a primarily Latino polling location.
Sen Alvarado questions the quality of the language of the bill and whether poll watchers need to be amped up.
*is my confusion, not theirs
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Alvarado - I have not been advised.
Blanco - I have not been advised, either.
And then bringing up 144 instances of poll watcher intimidation in Harris County.
Mersky
(4,981 posts) as Sen Blanco concludes his questioning
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Sen Gutierrez now questioning about the portion of the bill regarding ballot harvesting - that he (talk drunk of beard from east Texas, Hughes) made a big deal. That of the 22 pages of the bill 3 are about that.
Theyre all concerned about cheating, but at the end of the day, theyre interested in shaving votes.
This road to perdition started right after the election. TFG - the election is stolen! The election is stolen! State after state, Republican Secretaries of State have declared the elections were valid. Even in our state.
Here we are mail-in ballot, ballot harvesting, boogeymen
Our AG spent 22,000 man hours looking for fraud. Hopes republicans are listening that theyre being bamboozled.
Wants to dissect the bill with you (Alvarado). Telling republican constituency and hope theyre listening and vast.
Lol, being interrupted, told to stick to talking to the bill he resumes, lets dissect this bill
( mic drop) keeps going..
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Regarding exchange between registrars - two registrars - two unfunded mandates!!!! Is a section of new language
Oooo, Ive needed this OMG
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Shall deliver to the AG the relevant facts - now this is not new language, but its a new step
Alvarado agrees
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Line 18, page 2
Yet another unfunded mandate regarding DPS records, ehh, hand off
Is too bad, Sen Hughes is not here to defend this
Line 29 - Sec of State shall enter into an agreement with DPS
Have a state agency which is DPS and another Sec of State needing to work together - is another unfunded mandate.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Referring to the bill analysis
Alvarado is glad he raised the point of how agencies will pay for more government, big brother government
Are you aware that Abraham Lincoln said the role of government was to do what the people cannot do for themselves
not sure why we need to do this if the only thing is offending Donald tRump.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Its illuminating
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Their own republican appointed Sec of State said there was no fraud, and now shes gone
adios
(Dayum, thats all true)
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Hes removing the necessity of a criminal complaint for alleging voter fraud. A mere innuendo is all Hughes bill requires.
___
Drives me nuts, thats striking of complaint. Ugh.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Clerk shall send a notice to the registrar, Secretary of State, AG, and the county attorney
On the 3rd business day of each month have to send every month more unfunded mandate
Correct, it just keeps pulling and piling on
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Yup people of Houston than what theyre doing for their voters tonight
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Even then theres no evidence of voter fraud in drive thru voting. Gutierrez calls Houston the Pittsburg of Texas (hes not right, but he aint wrong). Houston does have a lot of shift workers.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)They didnt complain about it then.
Great big pile of shift!
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Hes not been disrespectful, just highly listenable.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Is something that was contested, in the Toyota Center. How in Eckhardts district in Austin how a trailer in a HEB parking lot was effected.
Is this about preventing fraud or shaving votes?
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Not improve security
Mersky
(4,981 posts)How what may work in East Texas may not work in Harris County. How in a pandemic these provisions would no longer be in place.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Doesnt it seem clear that this bill, big brother or little sister, says, Im gonna show you how to run your elections
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Is more about telling brother or little sister what to do
Is substantially more control from the state for local elections
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Might effect some of the smaller counties. Is an unfunded mandate in smaller counties in these uncertain times.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Sec of State office promulgate a form I have no idea what this section is about boxes and nitpicking
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Me too - what the heck with the form?!!!
Mersky
(4,981 posts)And then this happened hes a very lively, good speaker
Mersky
(4,981 posts)With a county of 30,000 or more
24hrs
Questioning what happened last cycle in Bexar, and Harris County as well referring back to all the shifffttt workers.
Not more Democrats voted; more people voted both parties broke records. Yet, this bill chooses to disenfranchise voters.
What was one of the reasons? Not being able to get poll workers?
Alvarado - no not so much, we were in the pandemic, people laid off, wasnt much of a problem
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Another recitation against Harris County drive thru voting and this involves early voting.., wont go on for the subsequent twenty lines of new laws
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Of any changes, and possibilities of more FTEs more hiring and unfunded mandates
Mersky
(4,981 posts)The republican Sec of State, she is no longer there
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Another unfunded mandate Says hes not necessarily opposed, but the sheer amount of money is not prescribed and unknown
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Videographers.
Ooo, Eckhardt will detail the cost of elections later.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Filibusters are really more apt towards the end of session; but we dont have that in the serving special session. The majority of filibusters (72%) have been used to do what were doing here today.
Complimenting Hughes as a talented litigator, but that this is not about fraud, but about shaving votes, disenfranchising voters.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)More FTEs; more unfunded mandate
Shall provide and make it available - no requirement to read it or take an exam
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Quieted now
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Gutierrez thanking Alvarado for debunking this bill
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Hes just that good
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Must people want to be outside and be a card pusher.
There may be a lot more that goes on than watchers.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Its not eliminated from possibilities of what could happen.
Standing behind Larry Taylor - breathing down his neck - theres nothing to keep him from being intimidated. What if its a big guy, like Hulk Hogan.
If I have Hulk Hogan breathing down my neck, why is that necessary.
Going from conveniently near to free moving. Not sure what the senatorial language is, but shame on the person who would let some goon behind me, behind my 11 year old or 14 year old that comes with me to vote.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Scaring my kids
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Thats okay, but no one should be breathing down my neck.
Is this bill more about vote shaving?
Its about that, but would say its about suppression.
Minneola Senator says its not about voter intimidation, but it is, we have a whole section about intimidation
Did you hear of any obstruction of poll watchers in Harris County, in the Houston Chronicle about poll watchers not being able to see the tabulating process? Alvarado - no
Weve got new criminal offense for taking any action against a poll watchers behavior.
That itll invite complaints, and further unfunded mandates.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Could discourage people from being poll workers.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)From some agency. The relief from this section is provided under a state inspector under chapter 34.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)How many times is there an unidentified cost?
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Thats my Senator!
Regarding Bexar County - cost would be between $350,000; $13 million new equipment. The surveillance cost would vary over how many elections are held each year. Additional costs from printing forms.
Alvarado calls for more estimations from other counties.
Fort Bend - $250,000-$12 million
Cameron County $250,000 and $5 million
Clear unfunded mandate from a bill that targets zero fraud
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Reiterating various counties costs - Bexar, Cameron
Fort Bend
The machine equipment; printing costs, and surveillance combine to the given ranges.
See my comment just before this one for the amounts - is same.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Asking what the difference is between dropping a mail in ballot in a metal box marked UPS or FedEx and one from the county.
So now, the county office will need shift workers to process those delivered ballots.
TexasTowelie
(112,166 posts)While I'm still capable of making it to my polling location, riding the bus, and wheeling myself uphill to vote, I am disabled and it would be more difficult for me to find a FedEx or UPS drop-off spot and then to pay about $8 to mail a ballot is an unreasonable expense for those living on limited budgets.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)And so the state will force more transparency on local governments than on the state especially with regards to the fiscal requirements with the costs of the bill
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Software to track all activity on the electronic device.
Alvarado - we are combing through this looking for things we may have missed
Eckhardt - how its redundant, and makes it appear theres secret shenanigans
And questioning why certain things that need to be codified and why only in some based on size.
I dont think any county elections supervisor would object except for why its not equally applied or why it needs to be codified at all.
And now mentioning the voting systems requirements and the burden it places in smaller counties. The larger counties that will meet this date and concerned whether they meet federal law.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Is curious to me that were codifying common practice
Mersky
(4,981 posts)(Oof got distracted)
Mersky
(4,981 posts)George McGovern
(5,420 posts)It is fascinating to watch and listen to this process. Thanks so much, Mersky, for bringing this to us. I really like Sen Sarah Eckhardt!
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Someone can use DocuSign. At 3am in the morning, someone can move large sums of money without an inked signature.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Voters - 65 and up. But a partisan can, even though the nonpartisan professional has a maintained list of eligible mail in voters.
So, in the past the county clerk could have sent out vote by mail applications, but didnt because partisan campaigns preferred to do it as a campaign activity.
So, seems if anything, this law should attempt to flip that.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)( Lol, thats was Eckhardt rephrasing of the question after a stern repub voice butted in trying to insinuate she was off topic. Not in my book, is all on tip. Have been tired of the generic characterizations thrown around in the media. Gotta get wonky to get to the nut cuttin lol)
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Shell_Seas
(3,333 posts)George McGovern
(5,420 posts)Poking holes in such a terrible piece of legislation. Bringing its contents to light.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)An employee of this office may not use funds to send applications to eligible voters, but a partisan candidate can.
Why is that? I dont understand it either. Seems it should be the other way around.
___
That jazz really, really bugs me.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)And it gets picked up in the canvass theres already a process in place, those cases go to the county attorney
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Envelope as detailed in the bill the voter is identified with ballot!
__
Wut! Not cool!
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Shes brilliant, but is going really, really fast over the lengthy new section over how the ballot can be cured - and! theres a roll for a poll watcher in the curing of a ballot.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Only if the information identifies the same voter voter matching ID.
line 38 - regarding matching the signature - sets up a rebuttal presumption of the signature which is an improvement over the original bill, thanks Hughes for that.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)How different are signatures if you can go back to any signature from any previous year?
__
Shocking - my signature is so much shorter than it used to be! Argh! And! I have a different one for signing credit cards pads. Yikes.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Election, erm, matters
missed some of that, but is important.
The AG does not have original jurisdiction over something regarding voters as laid out in the Texas Constitution and case law.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)I paraphrased that horribly
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Of elections law and the mechanics. Working knowledge. Valuable info from her that might have made the repubs bill less turd-like.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)A ballot being questioned for acceptability a volunteer can retain identifying notes about that voter and ballot! Wtf?
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Probably need to call their role something other than poll watcher.
Eckhardt - points out that theres no penalties, fines, or criminal penalties like there are for poll workers
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Of whether theyre providing assistance only for transportation or the other assistance in the next section.
Need my name, address, etc.
___
Yall - this would be me if I live at my old apartment driving neighbors to the store or laundromat. Could have been the polls if they couldnt walk to it. Ugh. Total overreach.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)(Oh heck, its the consanguinity paragraph.)
Need to be related the voter in the second degree or within the third degree in consanguinity. Holey moley. Its totally insane.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Would you agree that someone assisting the voter should state that they are not pressuring, getting paid/ paying to help the voter.
Now getting to the oath I swear or affirm under penalty of perjury
The oath confines the assistant to only stating whats on the ballot, cannot answer questions beyond that.
___
The oath is a ridiculous monstrosity. Ludicrous.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Alvarado - yes
___
Mersky - yes!
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Phone banking and asking of someone needs a ride to the polls this bill makes that illegal
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Thats all me, had to get a charging cable
Mersky
(4,981 posts)That makes regular operation seem needlessly nefarious
LetMyPeopleVote
(145,176 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)If youre in person trying to get someone to vote for Bob thats harvesting, but if youre on the phone trying to get them to vote for Bob thats fine.
Eckhardt takes issue with the definition of voter harvesting it is so vague, so as possibly include door knockers who do not intend to physically collect ballots or be involved with the ballot.
If theyre paid door knockers, and a mail in ballot is in the periphery somewhere, they might be in violation even if they dont physically interact, take possession of, or involved with the filling out ballot.
If you commit an offense, its a third degree felony (which are typically rather heinous, awful).
Harm is defined as standing to get relief, and to have standing you must be harmed - circular, but you dont have to show that vote harvesting occurred!
You dont have to prove a single vote was harvested, but you could be awarded all this stuff.
Oh heck, damages can be figured not on the basis of how many votes were harvested (and not necessarily proven), but on how many people were contacted! Ugh!
Mersky
(4,981 posts)The words vote harvesting seemed like a label used for talking points.
But listening now, and trying to relate their arguments, Im seeing just how ham fisted and dangerous to regular campaigning that has nothing to do with scooping up physical ballots for delivering to a different location.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)That the Secretary of State can update itself? But will charge the registrars at $1,000 per.
What is the purpose of moving the money up to the state from the county and does not get rid of the registrar that was not updating the records?
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Faces criminal or civil penalty, job loss or fines.
But a professional election worker in the clerks office or elections division does - starting positions at the clerks office is $42k.
catrose
(5,066 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Could take an election contest back to your old hometown instead of where the election was held.
Is bananas
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Is the lowest threshold of evidence, and yet theres a stipulated $1,000 damages without regard to any judges discretion. That its a real oddity.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Eckhardt said her thanks and how a greater public discussion was needed earlier.
TexasTowelie
(112,166 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(145,176 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)I can identify with many of the testimonies the Alvarado is reading out. Names are different, but places and situations familiar, like that from Bill and Jeannie.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Reviewing the ADA passed under Bush I. Emphasizing the need to listen to Texans with disabilities, and not just to satisfy the law.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)A veteran who severely injured his hand, and lost his fingers. She described how he used a rubber band to attach a pen to his hand in order to write and sign his name. Her issues with the signature mismatch portion of the bill comes with personal understanding of the additional burden the bill would place on voters like her father.
She spoke of a young woman with a severe form of CP that causes her hand to shake.
How SB 1 violates the federal law, and how the oath did not describe or define the assistance in a manner that includes the real needs of voters with disabilities.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)How married or divorced persons especially women change their names. Related different name conventions, how latinas are more likely to change their names. The need to a provide similar name affidavit when voting under this bill would subject their vote to the questionable signature mismatch, ehh, methods in the bill.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)(And my cats received her saline treatment.)
At the start of his speaking he mentioned that the Heritage Foundation is freaked out by the concept of same day voter registration.
Missed a lot in here as I was up and about, but gosh, he has an amazing voice. I would like to know more about his disparity study amendment.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Really amazing, shes very good at pacing her words.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Regarding drive thru voting in Harris County
Alvarado thanks him for bringing up her county, as is a target of the bill.
Hes now emphasizing the benefits of 24 hrs for shift workers.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Shes listing out different minority groups as to whether they supported the bill. None support it.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Shes listing out different minority groups as to whether they supported the bill. None support it.
TexasTowelie
(112,166 posts)but at least the duplicate post received its own number.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)It is a violation of the ADA.
TexasTowelie
(112,166 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas state senator continued her filibuster Thursday morning of an elections bill in the latest tactic to extend the nations most visible standoff over voting rights.
Democrat Carol Alvarado began her filibuster shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday by speaking indefinitely, although she admitted that was unlikely to stop it from passing. She must remain standing and speaking during the filibuster, which entered its 12th hour Thursday morning.
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Houston-Senator-filibuster-Texas-voting-bill-16381904.php
Mersky
(4,981 posts)When I awoke with a rundown battery and an earbud still in one ear.
Trying to get back to it, all the while deeply grateful to Sen. Alvarado.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Instead of referrals for those ineligible individuals who attempt to cast a ballot.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)The 2019 case that LULAC brought:
But legal and advocacy groups protested the allegations, which derived primarily from crosschecks with records maintained by the states Department of Public Safety, which issues drivers licenses and identification cards. Applicants have to show proof of citizenship when they apply for such documents, but dont need to check in again if they naturalize later as U.S. citizens. Critics contend the list is almost certainly loaded with false positives, most of whom were legal permanent residents when they first started driving, but later became citizens
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lulac-sues-texas-to-stop-republican-led-voter-probe_n_5c509fb0e4b0f43e410ba8ab
Mersky
(4,981 posts)He replies, good morning
and then, she just keeps going.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Mersky
(4,981 posts)Going back to 1992 - how when Alvarado was just getting started in politics running for precinct judge, then as a UH student. (Go Coogs!)
28 years ago - they agreed the process seemed fair and going back how well it worked. Asking to recall if there were any complaints.
Whitmire continues mentions the move early voting close times to 4pm and marks it as one of the first instances of voter suppression.
Now relating how many calls about county matters like loose dogs and trash, lots of complaints and calls on all manner of that. Then he asks if shes received complaints about voter fraud or elections. She says no she had not received election complaints.
Asks when she first ever heard anything about fraudulent elections she replied it was sometime after the 2020 election
Mersky
(4,981 posts)No, pandemic, grid topped concerns.
Whitmire is now calling for a round table with the proponents of the bill to discuss how the measures used in Harris County could benefit other counties.
Need to sit down, and can disagree without being disagreeable
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Used more mobile and flexible methods of voting to maintain safety, and they didnt alter the law to do it.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Would like to figure out how to post the transcript. Am accustomed to federal records of such, but admittedly, less so for the state.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Whats wrong with 24 hr voting? For shift workers (during a pandemic)?
Then closes with a quote from LBJ:
The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Audio in the chambers dropped out completely, even as Lt Dan stands at the dais, likely making noise. Its probably cordial, grinning crocodile sounds, but not sure.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Trying to pave over every abomination detailed overnight.
The bill passed, because GQPers have no shame or ethics.
Mersky
(4,981 posts)Whelp, they passed it, but there are so many weaknesses legally, fiscally, and constitutionally in the bill, that itll go to court over and over again.
That is, unless, a certain two senators find it in their hearts and wallets to pass some basic protections at the federal level. And so, us Texans go back to life under Grabbott as our kids and young folks get sick for tRumps glorification.