Texas Judge to Allow Mail in Votes for Covid-19

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
31,493
9,824
136

No doubt Texas AG Ken Paxton will appeal, but I am glad to see the effort fall flat on its face for the time being.
Voting should be easy and accessible, regardless of your political affiliation.
 
Feb 4, 2009
34,506
15,737
136
Couple of points for when the deplorables complain about this

first, it is mail the same Texas has been doing for older voters and THE SAME FUCKING MAIL THAT YOUR SECURE ID GETS MAILED IN

Second why does anyone who is under 65 need an “excuse” to mail in a vote in Texas? If you live in TX and are under 65 you cannot mail in a vote without a reason for doing so.
 

Commodus

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 2004
9,206
6,799
136
This probably won't change the outcome of the election (Texas' problem is, IIRC, districting that favors highly conservative rural voters). However, it would be funny if it did and the state flipped... those efforts to manipulate battleground states might be for nothing!
 

brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
25,992
23,792
136
States rights amiright? Righties? Can I get a ruling here?
Depends is the elected official a Democrat in a state where the legislature is controlled by Republicans? If so then any action the Democrat takes is exceeding their authority and must be approved by the legislature who naturally has "grave concerns" about fairness and voter fraud.

For Democratic officials in states with GOP legislatures there is no way to "win" this game.
 
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Mandres

Senior member
Jun 8, 2011
944
58
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I work in the central counting station during elections for my Texas county. I'm concerned about the logistics of managing the November election if we have a major shift from in-person, electronic ballots to absentee voting. Our County, and most other Texas Counties, are not set up for that. We have one high speed scanner and tabulating the 100-200 mail-in ballots we typically get is already the biggest bottleneck in our process. If the state is planning to decree a shift to paper ballots they need to hurry up and do it, and hand us a couple million dollars to buy another dozen scanners and the staff/training to run them. We're one of 254 Counties in Texas that will all face the same issue by the way, and it's almost June already. Just some food for thought...
 
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Dec 10, 2005
23,990
6,793
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I work in the central counting station during elections for my Texas county. I'm concerned about the logistics of managing the November election if we have a major shift from in-person, electronic ballots to absentee voting. Our County, and most other Texas Counties, are not set up for that. We have one high speed scanner and tabulating the 100-200 mail-in ballots we typically get is already the biggest bottleneck in our process. If the state is planning to decree a shift to paper ballots they need to hurry up and do it, and hand us a couple million dollars to buy another dozen scanners and the staff/training to run them. We're one of 254 Counties in Texas that will all face the same issue by the way, and it's almost June already. Just some food for thought...
At a curiosity, is it possible to scan ballots as they come in, or can they only be tabulated after polls close?
 

Mandres

Senior member
Jun 8, 2011
944
58
91
At a curiosity, is it possible to scan ballots as they come in, or can they only be tabulated after polls close?

It's going to vary state by state. In Texas, absentee ballots must be reviewed by a 'ballot board' after the early-voting polls are closed to verify the forms are complete, the ballot isn't damaged, etc. Then they come to us to be counted.
 

VRAMdemon

Diamond Member
Aug 16, 2012
6,447
7,616
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Trump Is Brazenly Interfering With the 2020 Election

The Atlantic article should more accurately be titled "Trump Brazenly Attempts to Sow Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt About the Validity of the Upcoming Election". He can't stop states from distributing absentee ballots, or going all-in on all-mail elections. Elections are under state control. It's also very uncertain that he could shut off funding to these states.

So all he can do is prepare the groundwork for "Michigan and Nevada election fraud!" in November. And that's precisely what he's doing. He doesn't care about being the president and all that goes with it, but he does dread being branded a LOSER!.
 

hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
23,331
10,238
136
Trump Is Brazenly Interfering With the 2020 Election

The Atlantic article should more accurately be titled "Trump Brazenly Attempts to Sow Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt About the Validity of the Upcoming Election". He can't stop states from distributing absentee ballots, or going all-in on all-mail elections. Elections are under state control. It's also very uncertain that he could shut off funding to the states.

So all he can do is prepare the groundwork for "Michigan and Nevada election fraud!" in November. And that's precisely what he's doing. He doesn't care about being the president and all that goes with it, but he does dread being branded a LOSER!.
Normally, you could impeach a president for this kind of behavior.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
I work in the central counting station during elections for my Texas county. I'm concerned about the logistics of managing the November election if we have a major shift from in-person, electronic ballots to absentee voting. Our County, and most other Texas Counties, are not set up for that. We have one high speed scanner and tabulating the 100-200 mail-in ballots we typically get is already the biggest bottleneck in our process. If the state is planning to decree a shift to paper ballots they need to hurry up and do it, and hand us a couple million dollars to buy another dozen scanners and the staff/training to run them. We're one of 254 Counties in Texas that will all face the same issue by the way, and it's almost June already. Just some food for thought...
It's going to vary state by state. In Texas, absentee ballots must be reviewed by a 'ballot board' after the early-voting polls are closed to verify the forms are complete, the ballot isn't damaged, etc. Then they come to us to be counted.

So the limitation is procedural rather than the throughput of the scanner? Y'all can fix that, if you want. It's not like you have to reinvent the wheel, either, given that vote by mail states already do it.
 
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UberNeuman

Lifer
Nov 4, 1999
16,937
3,087
126
And that's precisely what he's doing. He doesn't care about being the president and all that goes with it, but he does dread being branded a LOSER!.

oh, no. He does care about being President because he, his family, and their sycophants are royally fucked if he isn't.

It's going to get real ugly. The desperation is there - you can see it in certain threads on the forum.
 
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GodisanAtheist

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2006
6,719
7,016
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"John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it!"

Rulings from the judiciary only matter when other branches of government actually follow the rulings.

Trump (and by extension many Republicans at this point) has shown time and again that he's not above simply doing whatever he wants because he knows its all gentlemen's agreements.

Andrew Jackson followed up his defiance of the Marshall Court with the Trail of Tears.

Lets see what happens now.
 
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Mandres

Senior member
Jun 8, 2011
944
58
91
That's pretty dismissive of all the details and costs involved in throwing out the body of legislation, established procedures and capital investment in an election counting process based on in-person voting. Like I said it'll cost millions just for us to gear up to run a paper election, millions that my county doesn't have. I do believe that it's the safest option for an election during a pandemic, but it really may not be possible.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
Trump Is Brazenly Interfering With the 2020 Election

The Atlantic article should more accurately be titled "Trump Brazenly Attempts to Sow Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt About the Validity of the Upcoming Election". He can't stop states from distributing absentee ballots, or going all-in on all-mail elections. Elections are under state control. It's also very uncertain that he could shut off funding to these states.

So all he can do is prepare the groundwork for "Michigan and Nevada election fraud!" in November. And that's precisely what he's doing. He doesn't care about being the president and all that goes with it, but he does dread being branded a LOSER!.

Trump is truly delusional. Who has the best reasons to vote absentee? Seniors. A lot of seniors simply won't vote in person if required to do so. Nope. Not with covid-19 going around like crazy, which it will be. Many who do will resent the GOP assholes who made them do it, more than usual. Seniors are the strength of the GOP. Can't win w/o them in a lot of places. Suppressing their turnout makes no sense at all.

Michigan Democrats are quite shrewd to jump right on the opportunity because we want everybody to vote & this encourages them, makes it easy. Win or lose, the greater the turnout, the more we like it.
 
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Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
That's pretty dismissive of all the details and costs involved in throwing out the body of legislation, established procedures and capital investment in an election counting process based on in-person voting. Like I said it'll cost millions just for us to gear up to run a paper election, millions that my county doesn't have. I do believe that it's the safest option for an election during a pandemic, but it really may not be possible.

I realize full well that it's impossible simply because Texas state govt will keep it that way. That is their intention. The rest of it smacks of rationalization.
 
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UNCjigga

Lifer
Dec 12, 2000
24,802
9,004
136
So all he can do is prepare the groundwork for "Michigan and Nevada election fraud!" in November. And that's precisely what he's doing. He doesn't care about being the president and all that goes with it, but he does dread being branded a LOSER!.
I think you’re spot on. Trump may be an idiot, but his people understand they can’t do jack shit about states’ election laws and would risk another impeachment trial if they followed through with threats to withhold disaster aid.

But, if he loses, he’ll immediately challenge the election results in states with higher vote by mail turnout vs. 2016.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
14,090
136
Trump is truly delusional. Who has the best reasons to vote absentee? Seniors. A lot of seniors simply won't vote in person if required to do so. Nope. Not with covid-19 going around like crazy, which it will be. Many who do will resent the GOP assholes who made them do it, more than usual. Seniors are the strength of the GOP. Can't win w/o them in a lot of places. Suppressing their turnout makes no sense at all.

Michigan Democrats are quite shrewd to jump right on the opportunity because we want everybody to vote & this encourages them, makes it easy. Win or lose, the greater the turnout, the more we like it.

You do know that polling shows Biden is tied with Trump right now among over 65 voters, right?