Elections department leaving straight-ticket voting issue ‘up to courts,' busy working 7 days a week, Callanen says
SAN ANTONIO – Days after a federal judge blocked the elimination of straight-ticket voting in Texas, the Bexar County Elections Administrator says the department is working around the clock in other areas ahead of the already-intense election. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo blocked the state’s repeal of straight-ticket voting, which allows Texans to choose a party’s entire list of candidates on the ballot. Most states don’t offer straight-ticket voting, but Texas Democrats have said it helps eliminate wait time at the polls, especially for Black and Hispanic voters in big urban counties who are choosing from longer ballots. “Texas' rules around voting during the pandemic have been perplexing,” Garcia Marmolejo wrote. “My office has filed a motion to stay the district court’s injunction.
Don’t forget: Today is the last day to register to vote in Texas
It’s not too late to register and be included in a historic period in Texas voter registration. Texas has added more than 1.5 million voters since 2016, according to the Houston Chronicle, with more than 16.6 million total voters registered. 2) You can also register in person at your county voter registration office. If you are registered, but you’ve lost your voter registration card, you can notify your county voter registrar in writing to get a new one. You won’t need your voter registration card when you vote, but you will need a valid form of identification to vote in Texas.
¿Ya te registraste para votar en Texas?
Julie Moreno has worked in local television news for more than 20 years. She came to KSAT as a news producer in 2000. After producing thousands of newscasts, she transitioned to the digital team in 2015. She writes on a wide variety of topics from breaking news to trending stories and manages KSAT’s daily digital content strategy.
Bexar County setting records on National Voter Registration Day
Bexar County setting records on National Voter Registration DayPublished: October 5, 2020, 9:48 amWith the presidential election just 42 days away, Bexar County residents are registering to vote in record numbers, according to Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen.
9 ways other states make voting easier, more accessible than Texas
For example, a majority of states have same-day voter registration, online voter registration and at least five states offer universal vote-by-mail. Decades of voter suppression in Texas have made the Lone Star State notorious for being one of the most stringent states for voting rights and access. Like many other states, Texas has also shifted to creating more centralized voting centers. A year later, when the state’s voter turnout plummeted to 28.9 percent during the 2014 midterm elections, critics blamed the controversial law. Voting rights are automatically restored to convicted felons in Texas after this time period.
East Side residents hold drive-thru voter registration
SAN ANTONIO – Election Day is creeping up, but the deadline to register to vote is 30 days before. In Texas, the last day to register to vote is Monday, October 5. To increase voter turnout among underrepresented communities, East Side residents hosted a drive-thru voter registration event. So, we want to try to give more of a broader perspective of what Islam is about,” Rahim said. RELATED: How to register to vote in Texas for the Nov. 3 presidential election
How to register to vote in Texas for the Nov. 3 presidential election
SAN ANTONIO – The 2020 General Election is coming up on Nov. 3 and if you want to cast your ballot, you’ll need to be sure you’re registered to vote. Any U.S. citizen who is 18 years old by Election Day and registered to vote in Texas by the Oct. 5 voter registration deadline can vote in the presidential election, with few exceptions prohibited by law. 2) You can also register in person at your county voter registration office. If you are registered, but you’ve lost your voter registration card, you can notify your county voter registrar in writing to get a new one. You won’t need your voter registration card when you vote, but you will need a valid form of identification to vote in Texas.
Deceased cat gets voter registration application in mail
Ron Tims said he checked his mail Wednesday and found a voter registration application addressed to Cody Tims — his cat, who died 12 years ago. “There’s a huge push but if they’re trying to register cats, I’m not sure who else they’re trying to register. I’m not sure if they’re trying to register dogs, mice, snakes,” Carol Tims said. The Secretary of State’s Office said the application did not come from its office and that third-party groups often use mailing lists to get names and addresses. “Third-party groups all over the country are targeting Georgia to help register qualified individuals," the Secretary of State's Office said in a statement.
Pandemic impacts new voter registration activity in Texas
SAN ANTONIO – In recent months, the pandemic has impacted new voter registration activity after seeing a record number of registrations at the beginning of this year. According to the Center for Election Innovation and Research, voter registration slowed down in March and April across 12 states, compared to 2016. “As the pandemic hit, we were concerned that that might have a huge impact on new voter registration activity. Voter registration activity was strong in January and February, but when most stay-at-home orders went into effect, numbers declined. RELATED: Pandemic makes voter registration more challenging, organizations sayAccording to Jacquelyn Callanen, the elections administrator for Bexar County, there has been a dip in the number of new voters since the pandemic.