Need some help with something ASAP about voting in Tx.

[Dover]

I just got a notice from MoveOn.org encouraging voters to send in for an absentee ballot and to mail our votes in. I'm a little confused because I thought NPR and other sources have been saying that absentee ballots are the easiest means to have your vote manipulated. So what should I do? A)Vote by mail with an absentee ballot B)Vote early or C)Vote on election day the regular way?

Here's the notice I got:

Dear MoveOn member,

Here's one of the most powerful things you can do to win this election:

Vote by Mail.

In an election where a handful of votes could make all the difference, voting by mail is the single best way to make sure your vote is counted. If you are eligible (see below for criteria) all you need to do is request an absentee ballot, and when it comes in the mail, fill it out and send it back. To order your ballot right now, click below for the form:

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/a5-14.pdf

Then click here for a county by county listing of where to send it:

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/county.shtml

Think voting by mail sounds kind of "ho-hum"? Think again:


If you're concerned about touch-screen voting, voting by mail ensures that your ballot won't be lost on a computer, because you're putting it down on paper.


Voting by mail frees up your time on Election Day. If anything comes up on November 2nd -- like sick kids, car trouble, or an intense workload -- it can't keep you from voting.


You can use that precious time on November 2nd to multiply your impact, by helping other voters get to the polls.


Mailed-in ballots are a huge asset for your candidates. They're often counted ahead of time, and it helps to start the day with thousands of votes "in the bank."


Millions of new voters have registered this year, and some officials are already overwhelmed. Voting by mail will help minimize the bottleneck on Election Day, and keep you from being caught in long lines at the polls or other snafus.


This election is way too important to leave anything to chance.

As a Texas voter, you're eligible to vote by mail if ANY of the following apply to you:


You are 65 years old or older;


You are disabled;


You plan to be out of the county (not country) on November 2nd;


OR You are in jail, provided you are still legally allowed to vote.


If ANY of these are true for you, click below now for the form to order your ballot:

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/a5-14.pdf

Then click here for a county by county listing of where to send it:

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/county.shtml

Be sure to sign and date the form before you mail it in.

Then watch for your absentee ballot, which should arrive in the mail shortly.

The 2000 election was decided by just 537 votes in Florida and just 366 in New Mexico. We've got to take every possible step to bank our votes this year.

Voting by mail will play a huge role in this election. According to Tuesday's Washington Post, "absentee ballots are expected to account for as much as 20 percent of Florida votes, rising to an estimated 50 percent in New Mexico and Colorado and 70 percent in Washington state."

Get your mail-in absentee ballot today.

Thank you for your commitment to democracy.

Sincerely,

- Carrie, Joan, Lee, Marika, Noah, Peter, and Wes
The MoveOn.org Team
October 18th, 2004

P.S.: If you have any questions, you can find your Secretary of State's office online at:

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/index.shtml

Or try reaching their office by phone, at:

800-252-8683

[TxGran]

1. Just Vote

I think that there could be problems with any of the methods if it comes down to that. I voted this afternoon in a suburb of Houston (first day of early voting) and was surprised by the numbers. I had a hard time finding a parking place and the lines were out the door.

[liveoaktx]

2. If you're able... walk it in-local county courthouse or local early vote

location.

[tanyev]

3. In Texas you have to meet certain

qualifications to actually vote absentee, since we also have the early voting option. If you meet any of those qualifications and want to vote early, go ahead.

The Dem party here in Collin County is encouraging everyone to vote early so that if there are any problems with registration, there may be a chance to resolve it by election day. Plus, if you vote early you can be available on election day to give rides or help in any other way.

[Dover]

4. That's true, but according tothe form linked to by MoveOn,

all you have to say, to receive your mail-in ballot is that you are probably not going to be in your county on election day.

I just simply am looking for the best and most informed localized advice I can find about this, because apparently MoveOn seems to think that mailing in one's ballot is the most foolproof way. I don't know enough about the early voting procedures to know how secure it is. What I do know is that I won't take this lightly because the GOP WILL do whatever it takes to win....including causing all kinds of confusion and legal challenges. I'd like for my vote to count.

[tanyev]

5. Here's what Collin County website says:

"All currently registered voters of Collin County are eligible to request and receive a by-mail ballot if any of the following conditions prevents them from either voting in-person during the early voting period or on election day:

Expected absence from the County during both the early voting period and election day. The ballot must be mailed to an address outside the county."

It seems to me at this point you'd be safer doing early voting.

[Dover]

6. This is from the application form linked above:

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/a5-14.pdf

It says that if early voting has already begun, you simply have to mail in your application from outside your county.


What I don't know, and would like to know, is what the procedural differences are between what happens if I simply walk in and vote early, or if I mail it in.

[tanyev]

8. Also consider the deadline to have absentee ballots

in to the election office is Oct. 26. If you don't already have one in your possession, you have 8 days to mail in the application, wait to receive the absentee ballot, and then send it in. If it were me, I wouldn't risk it.

[NoPasaran]

7. Well in Texas if you're not going to be in the county on Nov.2

You need to have an address outside the county where the ballot will be sent.

However, another qualification for absentee balloting is that you are sick or disabled. You the voter define if you're disabiled, not a doctor, not an election judge. So being "sick of Bush" could work.:)

I don't endorse MoveOn's love affair with absentee ballots. Many things can happen between the post office and the courthouse. I voted early this morning and I'm comfortable with what I did.

[crispini]

9. by this point you have to:

- mail in your request
- get your ballot
- send it back and make sure it gets there on time

all that and early voting is open now. i'd just go early vote.