Texas: 95-year-old World War II Veteran says his mail-in ballot application has been denied twice

[Norbert]

HOUSTON – A Harris County man fears new voting laws may prevent him from voting by absentee ballot for the first time in his lifetime.

Kenneth Thompson, 95, has been checking his mail daily in hopes his mail-in ballot is among the pile.

Thompson has been voting since he was 21-years-old, and he even recalls paying a $0.25 poll tax in the 1950′s.

“I’ve been voting many, many years and I’ve never missed a vote,” Thompson said.

Thompson considers voting a duty. He served in the U.S. Army in WWII during the European Theater for the right to vote and other freedoms.

Decades later, the vet fears Texas’ new election law, SB1, could prevent him from voting for the first time in his life.

Per law, Thompson must either provide part of his social security number or his driver’s license number that matches his registration record with the county or state.

“He registered to vote in the 1940′s and they didn’t require that,” said Thompson’s daughter, Delinda Holland.

Since Holland can’t meet the new requirement, his mail-in ballot application was denied twice. The veteran said Harris County election officials never notified him and he had to call to find out both times.

“There’s gonna be a lot of people not gonna vote,” Thompson said. “If I hadn’t have called in about mine, people wouldn’t have known.”

Oh but it's easy to vote says the RWNJs.

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2022/01/26/ive-never-missed-a-vote-95-year-old-world-war-ii-veteran-says-his-mail-in-ballot-application-has-been-denied-twice-due-to-new-requirements/

[Historic NY]

1. He should put the number Uncle Sam gave him...

Last edited Fri Jan 28, 2022, 12:34 AM - Edit history (1)

when he was in the service. They can check that.

[Brother Buzz]

15. Nope, a boatload of those WW11 records burned up

In 1973 a devastating fire in the National Personnel Records Center destroyed about 17 million military personnel files. A loss with long-lasting repercussions, it affects our understanding and knowledge of many individual WWII stories.

80 percent of Army personnel records for soldiers discharged between 1 Nov 1912 to 1 Jan 1960 and 75 percent of the Air Force records of Airmen discharged between 25 Sep 1947 to 1 Jan 1964 (with surnames beginning with Hubbard and running through the end of the alphabet) has never been found.

https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/22133/the-nprc-records-fire-of-1973/

[Historic NY]

16. His serial number will generate an enlistment no the records but the enlistment

I have a WWII burial with no marker, family didn't have the records at the time 5 yrs after the war he was dead. They told them no marker, they waited now they will have to pay with the cockamamie rules the VA has.

I am surprised he doesn't have his DD214, here in NY they filed them with the local town or country clerk's office at the time it was used to record service and lower tax on property.

[link:https://aad.archives.gov/aad/fielded-search.jsp?dt=893&tf=F|]

[femmedem]

2. It sounds like he has an age discrimination case.

If I'm reading this correctly, this law makes it impossible for people who registered to vote in the 1940s to meet the requirements.

[czarjak]

3. No immunity for anyone. Any means necessary.

[LoisB]

4. I don't recall giving either of those numbers when I registered to vote in 1967 (had to be 21 to

vote back then). This is ridiculous.

[Deuxcents]

5. This sounds to me like

His state. Federal reps/senators need to do their responsibilities to him n others like him to clear this up. This is just wrong..maybe VFW’s , lawyers..there’s plenty of resources..why is this an issue for him or others like him? Texas, or not.

[Jim__]

6. The law was written by idiots who can't imagine that the voter registration process may have ...

... changed over the last 70 years. These people shouldn't be allowed to make change from a cash register never mind trying to write laws.

[Deuxcents]

7. Yes..yes..we agree

But now it needs to be taken up by those who can help..local, state federal.. this wrong. There’s no one in his whole state who can help ? I just cannot..we’ll..I just don’t wanna believe that.

[SWBTATTReg]

8. Hey, I had one person who asked me why I didn't have a social security number prior to the

1970s (this was before they required SSNs for jobs then). I told her that we didn't need them back then. She thought that she had a 'gotcha' item with me and walked back her objection rather quickly when I told her that SSNs weren't always out there for all to have.

There are idiots still out there, that don't realize that crap like the SSNs, etc. weren't around forever. So, everybody needs to be aware of this 'gotcha' item in the next wave of elections coming up. Make sure that you read all requirements and make sure that you get all needed documentation upfront, in time for voting.

[Hekate]

9. Hmmm. I hope this nice old man becomes the "poster child" for voting rights in Texas...

They thought they were just going to disenfranchise POCs and old people and college students and that nobody would care. He’s an old person, but he’s white and a veteran of WWII to boot.

Please, somebody make him the poster child for bigly unintended consequences.

[DFW]

10. That's one time more than I was denied

I got it straightened out with a friendly election office worker, but the first time, the reason stated for denial was that my online application wasn't signed in ink. I told her that my computer wasn't programmed to beam up ink signatures (I don't have Windows 2075).

[Samrob]

11. Dems in TX get on this NOW!

Called my family there in Houston and Dallas. We can do this. If it takes changing to update all voter registration info.
I would also check to see if the same matching requirements are being made all over Texas. Voters have been redlined or gerrymandered by race . Someone should be checking to see how those the number of returns in non-white areas compares.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

12. K&R

[turbinetree]

13. Just maybe this WWII vet should get a meeting with two senators WV and AZ and ask them a question...

do you think I am entitled to get a vote....because after all I helped save the world from a fascists, and what have you done lately in the name of democracy? Forget Cornhole a Cancun Cruz....

[TheFarseer]

14. Can he just re-register?

He hasn’t moved since the 50’s? I have to re-register every time I move.