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Texas engages in Massive, inaccurate voter roll purge

Wiseone

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Texas recently conducted a purge of its voter roll, something done occasionally to remove deceased individuals, those who have changed state residents, etc. There's nothing wrong with that in itself, voter rolls must be kept up to date as the voting population changes to protect the democratic system, however the way Texas is going about it is nothing short of a complete disregard for any kind integrity.

I'll let the numbers and facts speak for themselves on this one:

More than 300,000 valid voters were notified they could be removed from Texas rolls from November 2008 to November 2010 - often because they were mistaken for someone else or failed to receive or respond to generic form letters, according to Houston Chronicle interviews and analysis of voter registration data.

Statewide, more than 1.5 million voters could be on the path to cancellation if they fail to vote or to update their records for two consecutive federal elections: One out of every 10 Texas voters' registration is currently suspended. Among voters under 30, the figure is about one in five.

Statewide, 21 percent of the people who received purge letters later proved they were valid voters, compared with 16 percent in Harris County, according to a Chronicle analysis of the latest U.S. Election Assistance Commission data. Other counties had higher percentages: 37 percent of voters who received removal letters in Galveston County were valid voters, 40 percent in Bexar County and 70 percent in Collin County.

Watch out for voter registration cancellations - Houston Chronicle

Texas got the names off the Social Security Administration's death list. Social Security warned Texas that the list shouldn't be relied on, but to no avail. The state Legislature and Texas Gov. Rick Perry passed legislation last session mandating the change. In Houston, after Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Don Sumners got hundreds of calls from elderly voters who'd gotten the death notice, he looked at the Social Security list that was being used. "And then a quick check of some of the information on that database led us to believe that there was a big probability that even a majority of the names on the list were people that were still alive," he says.


Many Texans Bereaved Over 'Dead' Voter Purge : NPR

In Texas, 300,000 Eligible Voters Targeted in Purge | ThinkProgress
 
Meh, it happens.

My dad still receives a voter's registration card for my mother, who (1) has never lived at my dad's address and (2) hasn't even lived in the state for more than 15 years. He received a notice of her name being purged from the rolls.

Probably not the best method to utilize, but the state sent out notices, all people had to do to stay registered was respond as instructed. Not that challenging.

Also, there are 25.6 million people in Texas. If half of them are 18 or over, then we have at least 12+ million potential voters, so even using the 1.5 million number, we're only looking at 12.5% who need to respond to letters sent out by the state.
 
well, disgraceful but it will not alter the presidential election results because Obama doesn't stand a chance in Texas anyway.
 
Why is it disgraceful? If its done in error, an eligible person can still cast a ballot. Don't think people quite understand how voter rolls really work and what a purge actually does.
 
Why is it disgraceful? If its done in error, an eligible person can still cast a ballot. Don't think people quite understand how voter rolls really work and what a purge actually does.

Yes, an eligible person can still cast a provisional ballot. In the last election, not a single provisional ballot was actually counted here in Houston.
 
well, disgraceful but it will not alter the presidential election results because Obama doesn't stand a chance in Texas anyway.

actually....... many electoral experts state that Texas could turn blue with in the next few election cycles because of the hispanic vote.
 
actually....... many electoral experts state that Texas could turn blue with in the next few election cycles because of the hispanic vote.

That might be true, but in this day and age and in this election this issue will not change the outcome of the election. If Democrats only have a limited war chest to fight things like this they should spend it where Obama makes a chance to win that state.
 
That might be true, but in this day and age and in this election this issue will not change the outcome of the election. If Democrats only have a limited war chest to fight things like this they should spend it where Obama makes a chance to win that state.

oh I agree, just saying that these voter purges could in the future make or break in a state like Texas.
 
Texas recently conducted a purge of its voter roll, something done occasionally to remove deceased individuals, those who have changed state residents, etc. There's nothing wrong with that in itself, voter rolls must be kept up to date as the voting population changes to protect the democratic system, however the way Texas is going about it is nothing short of a complete disregard for any kind integrity.

I'll let the numbers and facts speak for themselves on this one:

More than 300,000 valid voters were notified they could be removed from Texas rolls from November 2008 to November 2010 - often because they were mistaken for someone else or failed to receive or respond to generic form letters, according to Houston Chronicle interviews and analysis of voter registration data.

Statewide, more than 1.5 million voters could be on the path to cancellation if they fail to vote or to update their records for two consecutive federal elections: One out of every 10 Texas voters' registration is currently suspended. Among voters under 30, the figure is about one in five.

Statewide, 21 percent of the people who received purge letters later proved they were valid voters, compared with 16 percent in Harris County, according to a Chronicle analysis of the latest U.S. Election Assistance Commission data. Other counties had higher percentages: 37 percent of voters who received removal letters in Galveston County were valid voters, 40 percent in Bexar County and 70 percent in Collin County.

Watch out for voter registration cancellations - Houston Chronicle

Texas got the names off the Social Security Administration's death list. Social Security warned Texas that the list shouldn't be relied on, but to no avail. The state Legislature and Texas Gov. Rick Perry passed legislation last session mandating the change. In Houston, after Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Don Sumners got hundreds of calls from elderly voters who'd gotten the death notice, he looked at the Social Security list that was being used. "And then a quick check of some of the information on that database led us to believe that there was a big probability that even a majority of the names on the list were people that were still alive," he says.


Many Texans Bereaved Over 'Dead' Voter Purge : NPR

In Texas, 300,000 Eligible Voters Targeted in Purge | ThinkProgress

So, what do you suggest as a better course to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voter rolls?

Actually, first things first -- do you object to any attempt to do so at all? If not, then the above question applies.
 
oh I agree, just saying that these voter purges could in the future make or break in a state like Texas.

Yes, of course, the last thing democrats want is accurate voter rolls.
 
Yes, of course, the last thing democrats want is accurate voter rolls.

If that was the reason for such voter purges then it would be valid.. but we both know it aint.
 
If that was the reason for such voter purges then it would be valid.. but we both know it aint.

So, you think making the voter rolls accurate is some kind of right wing plot to prevent liberals from voting? You cannot be that biased and frankly, that ignorant.

Why would anyone object to keeping the voter rolls accurate and current?
 
So, you think making the voter rolls accurate is some kind of right wing plot to prevent liberals from voting? You cannot be that biased and frankly, that ignorant.

I am ignorant? Seriously have you seen what your GOP bedfellows have attempted to do with their voter purges and WHO they target with these purges?

Why would anyone object to keeping the voter rolls accurate and current?

No one is, problem comes around when those purges are targeted specific groups of people only or primarily.
 
I am ignorant? Seriously have you seen what your GOP bedfellows have attempted to do with their voter purges and WHO they target with these purges?



No one is, problem comes around when those purges are targeted specific groups of people only or primarily.

Help me out here - when you try to correct a problem doesn't it make sense to 'target' the problem? - or is there some kind of ethical test I am unaware of that says, well it is ok for SOME to engage in illegal voting because their parents were illegal aliens or their great-great-great grandfathers 'might' have been subject to slavery.

I don't see that you care if welfare is 'targeted' for those who need welfare - in your system of 'fairness' should you not insist that EVERYONE should receive government assistance??

In the case of errors in voting rolls, it makes sense to me to target those who are not supposed to be there. If they mostly turn out to be of some particular demographic, then to me it would make more sense to direct efforts to get the LEGAL demographic members to register accurately, than to just say "hell, let anyone vote - as many times as they want to - after all they have a grievance or something."
 
If that was the reason for such voter purges then it would be valid.. but we both know it aint.

And you know this how?

As a Texan, and an Independent one at that, I accept that the voter registration poles need to be accurate during an election year. In a state that has a high level of Illegal Immigrants, I also see sense in requiring id as proof of Citizenship and eligibility to vote.

Why do so many people keep getting upset about reasonable measures to ensure a fair and accurate vote?
 
The Houston Chronicle, NPR and Think Progress arenct exactly unbiased sources, so no doubt there's a significant amount of spin going on here.
 
How many cases of election fraud were prosecuted in Texas in the last 10 years? How many arrests made for election fraud in Texas in the last 10 years? Accurate records are fine when there is absolutely no chance that those updating the records have no partisan bias! Texas used to be the home of LBJ's and many other politicians "dead voters" that sometimes swayed an election. It is probably the most corrupt state gov't in the US. Who do you trust?
 
The Houston Chronicle, NPR and Think Progress arenct exactly unbiased sources, so no doubt there's a significant amount of spin going on here.

There's no such thing as an unbiased source. Sorry, Breitbart's peeps don't cut it.
 
Help me out here - when you try to correct a problem doesn't it make sense to 'target' the problem? - or is there some kind of ethical test I am unaware of that says, well it is ok for SOME to engage in illegal voting because their parents were illegal aliens or their great-great-great grandfathers 'might' have been subject to slavery.

I don't see that you care if welfare is 'targeted' for those who need welfare - in your system of 'fairness' should you not insist that EVERYONE should receive government assistance??

In the case of errors in voting rolls, it makes sense to me to target those who are not supposed to be there. If they mostly turn out to be of some particular demographic, then to me it would make more sense to direct efforts to get the LEGAL demographic members to register accurately, than to just say "hell, let anyone vote - as many times as they want to - after all they have a grievance or something."

It is very simple.. send the letters out to EVERYONE. Then it could not be used in a political ploy.
 
Meh, it happens.

My dad still receives a voter's registration card for my mother, who (1) has never lived at my dad's address and (2) hasn't even lived in the state for more than 15 years. He received a notice of her name being purged from the rolls.

Probably not the best method to utilize, but the state sent out notices, all people had to do to stay registered was respond as instructed. Not that challenging.

Also, there are 25.6 million people in Texas. If half of them are 18 or over, then we have at least 12+ million potential voters, so even using the 1.5 million number, we're only looking at 12.5% who need to respond to letters sent out by the state.

A very large portion of eligible voters are having their registrations canceled and your response is "meh, it happens!?"
 
Yes, of course, the last thing democrats want is accurate voter rolls.

Says the man supporting an action that makes the voter rolls inaccurate.

If you actually cared about election integrity you wouldn't be supporting purging of eligible voters.
 
Yes, an eligible person can still cast a provisional ballot. In the last election, not a single provisional ballot was actually counted here in Houston.

And why is that? Would the numbers of provisional ballots had an impact on the election?
 
It is very simple.. send the letters out to EVERYONE. Then it could not be used in a political ploy.

Why in the world would you think this is a good idea? If you have a government record that says John Q, Jones has died, why would you not send the letter to only the John Q Jones' to see if any of them are the one cited?

Seems pretty straight forward to me. - but I am a rational person - that is why I am a conservative.
 
Excellent, now if Chicago would just do the same. Probably reduce their voter roles by a half.
 
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