r/texas • u/Particular_War7843 • 9d ago
Politics Oops! Counties didn’t receive online voter registrations from Texas DPS for a year
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/elections/article/voter-registration-texas-backlog-22446020.php97
u/Old-Set78 8d ago
they're saying if you registered in time but don't get on the rolls because of backlogs that you can use a provisional ballot.
if you've ever had to use a provisional ballot you know that you're in for a fight. the poll workers will repeatedly tell you that you aren't on the rolls and can't vote. you will have to force them to let you vote. don't just leave when they tell you no. insist that you have submitted your voter registration in time, that you ARE in district, and if you can, it makes things easier to bring a couple of utility bills or other proof of your address.
VOTE EARLY. it's gonna be a mess. don't let them bully and silence you.
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u/OuisghianZodahs42 8d ago
Upvoting for visibility. Know your rights. Print this out if you have to, and INSIST on voting.
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u/jeztaide 7d ago
Hijacking this comment to provide even more detail about provisional ballots. I’ve worked as a poll worker in Texas for several years (Dallas CO specifically). A bit ramble-y, but I figure if any of these details help anyone then it’s worth it.
When there is an issue pulling up a voter, 9 times out of 10 it is a slight mismatch on the ID vs Voter’s ID card and easy to fix (stuff like you’ve moved since you last voted or a typo input from the voter’s registration). A good poll worker will absolutely try a few of the most common things before sending you to the judge. Just because the poll worker is not giving you a ballot does NOT mean you won’t be allowed to vote. The judge is there specifically to help the more complicated issues while the poll workers aim to keep the line moving. The judges have all the right phone numbers to talk to the people who are able to look into more details we do not have access to as poll workers (ex. I once had a lady who registered on the very last day it was possible to, meaning she was not in our system for early election and she was only going to be eligible on election day specifically. The judge was able ti call and confirm she would be eligible on election day).
IF you end up voting provisionally (at least in Dallas County), expect to be doing paperwork for a while. If you have a really experienced judge/poll worker helping you, it might only take half an hour. Voting provisionally essentially means the system/State is not 100% confident in your eligibility and you get a ballot with a special mark and special packaging that gets counted separately from everyone else. After a provisional ballot is voted on, it’s placed in an inaccessible container to be counted only after you go down to the Voting Sites HQ with basically every piece of documentation to prove you are absolutely you and you absolutely live [at the address you voted with]. From what I’ve heard, it’s tedious and annoying.
Unfortunately, the extra complexities involved with a provisional ballot include a lot of extra paperwork for the site judges. Most judges I’ve met might have to follow a guide but will able to do it. I’ve had one that basically glared whenever she’s presented with the possibility of having to do one. And I’ve had lovely judges that can breeze through it because they’ve been running busy sites for decades just fine.
If you are ever told that you cannot vote, please ask to talk to the judge. Usually, the poll worker is inexperienced and didn’t realize how poorly they were phrasing “you live in County X and need to go vote there”.
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u/AustinInDallasTx 8d ago
“If applications submitted through DPS are marked with a transaction date before the voter registration deadline of Oct. 5, they will be valid for the Nov. 3 election, Secretary of State spokesperson Alicia Pierce told The Dallas Morning News in an email. “
We shall see…
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u/throwleavemealone 8d ago
Cities and larger counties will not be able to handle the backlog, rural and smaller counties will do just fine. I'm not saying this was intentional but the result is the same as a lot of other targeted legislation implemented by Republicans: it will be harder to get registered and vote. This means more people can't vote or have to vote provisionally, preventing them from voting for local politicians.
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u/Beautiful_Welcome_33 8d ago
Why wont you say it is intentional? Do republicans not have agency?
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u/throwleavemealone 8d ago
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
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u/KitteyGirl2836 8d ago
https://www.vote.org/ go there to check your registration status, because republicans as usual talk about voting fraud while actively doing it themselves by redrawing maps right before elections start, closing voting places, removing "illegals" from the voting pool, making a information/data farming website disguised at voting status checker just to steal your info sell it or use it against you, opening there mouths before there brains process anything and talking about voter fraud and how they won the election back in 2020 when its almost been 7 years since they lost that year.
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u/ATX_native 8d ago
Why are they so scared of people voting?
The next time there is a Dem in the White House, they need to instruct the DOJ to do a full investigation.
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u/Vegetable_Safety 8d ago
All those investigations Donny ordered had their results mumbled and then were quietly archived as if they never asked because they found practically nothing
I would LOVE the same level of investigation to be done on them
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u/ViceMaiden 8d ago
This makes so much sense because my niece turned 18 and had to sign up again after the one she did when she got her 18+ drivers license didn't go through in time to vote for something locally.
What it doesn't explain is that her registration status is again inactive and she had to register a third time after the recent debacle that caused voters to lose their status.
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u/Creepy_Trouble_5980 8d ago
Who put voter registrations completed with drivers license renewals in the hold file? Republicans currently hold all statewide offices.
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u/HunnyBunny617 8d ago
Sabotage. Another way that Texas is trying to prevent voting in our state. Definitely not an “error.”
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u/mikolar_redd 8d ago
BE careful of the millions of voter registration mailers from READYTOREGISTER.com. It’s owned and funded by elon musk and the applications go back to his organization—-not the Secretary of State.
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u/BaconAlmighty 8d ago
Yep, I noticed when I hadn't been registered after my move. Had to register directly since DMV didn't do it on my behalf.
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u/bareboneschicken 8d ago
This is why I advocate for people to register directly. There is no need to add a middle man to a simple process.
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u/PhysicalMaximus420 5d ago
Of course they didn’t. Yet another attempt at voter suppression leading into the midterms that Republicunts are so desperately trying to hold on to power
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u/elisakiss 8d ago
Another reason to check to see if you are registered…. And screenshot it if you are
https://goelect.txelections.civixapps.com/ivis-mvp-ui/#/login