MORE ID problems in Texas--local reporter had problems, wrote about it

[rainbow4321]

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2012/10/voter-id-is-not-the-law-in-texas-but-law-schmaw-demand-it-anyway.html/

Texas voters are not required to show a photo-ID. But that’s not stopping folks in Williamson County, a Republican bastion north of Austin. Or at least hasn’t stopped them in my precinct. I showed up to early-vote this weekend with one of several legally sanctioned forms of identification — my local utility bill. That’s when the trouble started.

The fight over requiring a photo-ID to vote has been raging for years, not just in Texas but across the country. Republicans say the requirement is designed to stop voter fraud. Democrats say it’s an effort to disenfranchise voters, especially the poor, elderly and minorities. The Texas Legislature passed a photo-ID requirement, but the Justice
Department has challenged it and so there’s no such requirement in Texas until the court case is resolved.

I entered my early-voting polling place Saturday at the Georgetown Parks & Recreation office. I showed the superviser, whose nametag said Peggy, my utility bill from the city of Georgetown bearing my name and address. Peggy looked over her glasses at me with disapproval.

Peggy: “Do you have a drivers license?”
Me: “This is what I’m giving you for identification.”
Peggy: “We prefer a voter-registration card or a drivers license. There’s a list of identifications starting with registration card, driver’s license, picture ID — we prefer to go in that order.”

[northoftheborder]

1. I'm not sure if the utility bill is considered ID if you don't have your voter registration card.

[LisaL]

2. It is.

This reporter was able to vote. But he had to insist on his right to vote.

[Honeycombe8]

11. Yes, it is. Here's the TX SOS info on that. (Of course, this is avoided IF yu have yur Reg Card.)

I can’t find my voter certificate/card. Will I be able to vote without it?

A.
If you are a registered voter and you have lost or misplaced your voter certificate, you may vote without your certificate by providing some form of identification (see list below) and signing an affidavit at the polls. This is the procedure to follow if your voter registration is still current and your name appears on the voter rolls in your county of residence. You may also contact your county voter registrar to obtain a replacement certificate. Addresses and phone numbers of Voter Registrars Acceptable documents are: 1.a driver's license or personal identification card issued to you by the Department of Public Safety or a similar document issued to you by an agency of another state, regardless of whether the license or card has expired;
2.a form of identification containing your photograph that establishes your identity;
3.a birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes your identity;
4.United States citizenship papers issued to you;
5.a United States passport issued to you;
6.official mail addressed to you, by name, from a governmental entity;
7.a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.

http://www.votetexas.gov/faq/

[DMacTX]

3. What that silly bint 'prefers' is irrelevant, you're the voter & meeting the required standard of ID

people like her (and I know EXACTLY the kind she is,....I am in New Braunfels, just south of Austin) make themselves look like idiots with their barely concealed prejudices and inflated sense of self importance.

[Igel]

28. Probably repeating what she was told.

And what she was probably told was that they considered DLs to be better ID than other forms, so if you have a choice go with that one.

Most poll workers are retrained at intervals and so concerned with making sure they do it right that they sometimes get it wrong.

Once watched a precinct captain carefully instruct every and each Democratic voter who needed to cast a provisional ballot to fill the sucker out incorrectly, in a way that the BOE wouldn't be able to ignore. Wasn't until near the end of the day that a second poll worker else listened to what he was instructing the voters and had doubts as to his accuracy. The flip chart said he was just plain wrong.

Sounds like an (R) disenfranchsing (D), but it wasn't. It was a former county Democratic Party chair so concerned that the Republican pollworkers may pull something funny that he personally took charge of every (D) provisional ballot. He just had it wrong. It was an (R) that caught the mistake and salvaged at least one (D) vote.

[NoPasaran]

31. There actually is a legitimate reason for preferring a drivers license over a utility bill

Drivers licenses have a barcode on the back which for many voters is tied to the voter registration database. So scanning a DL is almost the same as scanning a VR certificate: it confirms registration and address and determines exactly what ballot the voter receives. I say it's almost the same because not every license hits the voter database.

Of course, a while back I used my electric bill as ID to vote in Travis County. They fussed a little, but I still got to vote. Just like the reporter in the OP's story.

[Angry Dragon]

4. Peggy deserves prison time

[mwooldri]

10. nope, needs rehiring by USA prime credit :) nt

[Angry Dragon]

13. I am just trying to fill the republican Private Prisons with republicans

seeing how they think they are a good idea

[LibGranny]

18. I'd call her Puggy!

[Thinkingabout]

5. This election worker should be schooled in the requirements as stated on SOS website.

I will be working a voting precinct on election day and I am aware of id's required to vote. Another item, even if the voter is not listed on the records available to the election workers the judges should attempt to locate the proper information for the voter and when this fails the voter should be offered a provisional ballot. This is not hard, if the efforts to get all voters the opportunty to vote as there is in preventing certain voters the day will go off without any problems.

the following is from the SOS in Texas

What if I don't have a driver's license, personal identification number, OR a social security number? Can I still register to vote in Texas?

A voter who has not been issued a driver’s license or social security number may register to vote, but such voter must submit proof of identification when presenting himself/herself for voting or with his/her mail-in ballots, if voting by mail. These voters’ names are flagged on the official voter registration list with the annotation of “ID.” The “ID” notation instructs the poll worker to request a proper form of identification from these voters when they present themselves for voting. Acceptable identification includes:
•a driver's license or personal identification card issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety or a similar document issued to the person by an agency of another state, regardless of whether the license or card has expired;
•a form of identification containing the person's photograph that establishes the person's identity;
•a birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes the person's identity;
•United States citizenship papers issued to the person;
•a United States passport issued to the person;
•official mail addressed to the person by name from a governmental entity;
•a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter; or
•any other form of identification prescribed by the Secretary of State.

[Recursion]

6. I was trying to explain the difference between Type I and Type II errors...

...to somebody who views voter ID laws as "no problem", and couldn't seem to get through to him. Anybody know a good five second talking point to explain that any system which minimizes false positives necessarily has to maximize false negatives?

[ManiacJoe]

7. Your claim here is not true.

"that any system which minimizes false positives necessarily has to maximize false negatives"

While it sometimes happens, or even many times, the two do not necessarily go together.

[Recursion]

8. It's true for any optimal binary discriminator

In that its ROC curve is always convex. I suppose poll judges are not optimal, though. And my last Detection & Estimation class was years ago...

[deadbrokediva]

9. Fuckin' Peggy

Probably an old virgin with a beehive hairdo and a chain around her glasses.

[Horse with no Name]

12. Are you insinuating that a woman needs to be fucked by a man

to be a compassionate or competent human being?

[ffr]

14. First-time voters here still have to show ID

but otherwise all other voters are only required to match their signature with what is on record.

[formercia]

15. He looks like a Conservative White Guy

Now, what if it had been a Woman of Color?

"Looks OK to me." Was the supervisor referring to the ID or his appearance?

[Ilsa]

16. One year I presented my voter registration card

and they still required me to show my DL. I told them that I thought they were mistaken, I presented my DL to get in to vote. Then I called the county voter registration and complained. They asked which precinct and said they'd take corrective action.

[texanwitch]

20. I will be early voting this week.

I am taking my voters card.

I usually work elections so I know the rules.

I hope I do not have a problem, I will complain on site.

Everyone needs to complain if this happens.

I was a precinct judge, and worked early voting.

This crap as to be stopped.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. I am so hoping that HAPENS to us on election day

It happened in 2004, will pull out press card and ask for name, and congratulate poll worer for getting himself/ herself into the paper.

[Overseas]

24. K&R. Yes please!

[azureblue]

19. Maybe this could work:

If you are prevented from voting, then the person who prevents you must state why. So you have them write down the reason, citing the law, and date and sign it. Make sure to include your name, the polling place, and time, and your signature and address. My bet is, as soon as you demand this, they will back down.

[Overseas]

25. Yes. Try to get them on the record. Even asking their name and noting it down.

"we're reporting in on voting irregularities across the country, may I take your photo?"

[WinkyDink]

21. "Hello, this is Peggy."

[Horse with no Name]

22. LOL n/t

[oliverrams1]

23. I just voted today in Houston

I was not required to show my TDL just my voter card. The only thing they told us is that our voter card must be signed.

[texanwitch]

27. That is the rules.

I early voted for the primary and I used my voter card.

I was told I needed to show my TDL, because of voter fraud.

I raised a little hell on site, I voted without showing my TDL.

All voting locations have judges of both parties, demand to talk to the Democratic judge.

I went out of my way to make sure people had the right to vote when I was a pricinct judge.

I called in a lot of people's names to find to find where they could vote.

A good precinct judge will do this, a bad one or lazy one will not.

[sarcasmo]

26. The Regressive Racist party at it again.

[Jumping John]

29. Even at my polling place in Texas there were signs that said

"have your voter registration or drivers license ready to present to the officials."

[gkhouston]

32. That's an "or" not an "and". When I went, they had a pollworker in the overflow room

telling people they did NOT need any other ID if they had their voter's registration card with them, in between announcements about turning off cell phones and estimates of how much longer the wait would be.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

30. I anticipate a lot of these issues in VA

A new voter ID law is in effect, and I'm betting that many people have paid no attention.