Video: Texas Early Voters Shut Down Highway

[kosai]

I thought this was a great video, apparently Texas Republicans closed a poll near PVU causing students to go on a 7 mile march on the highway to vote.

http://ruralvotes.com/thefield/?p=718

[fuelair]

I do not, normally, support any protest that shuts down roadways. This is the rare exception.

[WildCat]

Most idiotic conspiracy theory ever!

Texas Republicans benefit how, exactly, by making all voters (not just Dems) go 7 miles to cast an early vote? Where is the polling place on election day? Since when don't students have free time to vote on election day anyway?

"Oh, our votes are being suppressed, come look at us being disenfranchised!"

[kosai]

Most idiotic conspiracy theory ever!


It's not a really a conspiracy theory as it's pretty well documented by major news sources:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5554045.html

Texas Republicans benefit how, exactly, by making all voters (not just Dems) go 7 miles to cast an early vote?

Well, ignoring the fact that you can't move something 7 miles away from everyone at the same time (barring going underground or up) you can move it away from a predominantly black college who's students might be inclined to vote in one candidates favor. Your other questions are irrelevant.

[WildCat]

It's not a really a conspiracy theory as it's pretty well documented by major news sources:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5554045.html
In January, county officials decided to eliminate all but one early voting site in the county.
So why should there be an early voting in that particlar place?

Well, ignoring the fact that you can't move something 7 miles away from everyone at the same time (barring going underground or up) you can move it away from a predominantly black college who's students might be inclined to vote in one candidates favor. Your other questions are irrelevant.
Was it "moved", or never there in the first place? The AP article doesn't say it was moved. Are the new polling places within 7 miles of every poulation center in Waller County? Are any predominantly white areas more than 7 miles from an early voting site? Before there were more early voting sites added, were there any white areas 7 miles or more from the easrly voting place? If so, are they also disenfranchised? Are college students generally registered to vote at their school, or at their parents house (like I was in college)? How many early voting sites should there be?

I've seen no evidence at all that this was a move to disenfranchise anybody.

[kosai]

From what I've read this is not something new in the PVU area due to redistricting and such, however I'm not a resident nor an expert in demographics of the area. You really believe that the big two parties using tactics like this to alter voting patterns is equal to a conspiracy theory? I would call it a political strategy and I've seen it done in my own state too.

Early voting is meant for people who can't get to the polls on election day for whatever reason. I can't predict what 1,000 people are doing on March 4th or where they are registered to vote or play "where the whites are" however around a thousand people **feel** disenfranchised... hence the march.

[WildCat]

From what I've read this is not something new in the PVU area due to redistricting and such, however I'm not a resident nor an expert in demographics of the area. You really believe that the big two parties using tactics like this to alter voting patterns is equal to a conspiracy theory? I would call it a political strategy and I've seen it done in my own state too.
There was one early voting polling place in the entire county! You do realize that means it can't be located in everyone's neighborhood, don't you? Now there are 3 for the entire county, do you think that all those are convenient for everyone? What makes Prairie View so special, of all the towns in the county?

Early voting is meant for people who can't get to the polls on election day for whatever reason. I can't predict what 1,000 people are doing on March 4th or where they are registered to vote or play "where the whites are" however around a thousand people **feel** disenfranchised... hence the march.
Hey, I've been in college. College students have time up the wazoo. The polling places are open 12 hours or so, are you really going to tell me that these kids schedules are so tight they couldn't make it on March 4? How many of the 1,000 that marched actually cast ballots when they reached their destination?

eta: And no one has yet explained how this helps the Texas Republicans!

[kosai]

Does asking questions nobody here can answer feel the same as making a point for you?

As I said... I have no idea why these people have the need to vote early and I'm not going to guess about the lives of a thousand people, maybe you went to an easy college and theirs is hard. Myself, I was busy in college and I also didn't have a car. When a thousand people want to vote and the election officials make it difficult for them to do so, I'm proud to see people make their needs known.

Who, besides you, has stated it has helped Republicans???

[WildCat]

Does asking questions nobody here can answer feel the same as making a point for you?

As I said... I have no idea why these people have the need to vote early and I'm not going to guess about the lives of a thousand people, maybe you went to an easy college and theirs is hard. Myself, I was busy in college and I also didn't have a car. When a thousand people want to vote and the election officials make it difficult for them to do so, I'm proud to see people make their needs known.
So you started a thread on a topic you admit you know nothing about, and called the demonstration "great" when you don't even know what the facts are?

Who, besides you, has stated it has helped Republicans???
The site you linked to said "Texas Republicans have worked overtime to make it harder for key Democratic voting groups to vote and be represented fairly". No explanation at all about how this benefits the Republicans, so why would they do it? Just because they're evil?

Any idea how many of the people marching actually cast a vote at the polling place? Should everyone else in the county who don't have an early voting place nearby block the streets also? What makes Prairie View so special?

[kosai]

So you started a thread on a topic you admit you know nothing about, and called the demonstration "great" when you don't even know what the facts are?

Yeah, nice try... scroll up... I said it "was a great video." The facts are the same as I posted, 1000 people did march and I think it's good when people take action against things they feel are unfair.


The site you linked to said "Texas Republicans have worked overtime to make it harder for key Democratic voting groups to vote and be represented fairly". No explanation at all about how this benefits the Republicans, so why would they do it? Just because they're evil?

Probably and because they hate democracy too. You are the one who added the conspiracy theory twist to the story so you should fill me in on the rest.


Any idea how many of the people marching actually cast a vote at the polling place? Should everyone else in the county who don't have an early voting place nearby block the streets also? What makes Prairie View so special?

100%. Yes. Rainbows.

[Dog Town]

Probably and because they hate democracy too.


Yes,I seem to remember Democratic leaders, begging Nader not to run in 2000! They claimed people were voting for him. Yes very democratic of them!
Pffft...

[kosai]

If "rainbows" didn't tip you off... I was being facetious.

[kosai]

More articles backing this up...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080222/cm_thenation/45288815

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/5552259.html

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/prairieviewprotest220

In these articles they state "Waller County had reduced the number of early voting locations from about six around the county to only one at its courthouse. " They describe Waller County as a "mostly white, conservative county." They also state "The same day that the march was announced, Waller county officials agreed to open three others polling places, but they won't be open until later this week."

Apparently this "conspiracy theory" reaches high levels of our own government (gasp!) as it states "the county is still under investigation by the Texas Attorney General for the 2006 election" it's currently being investigated by the US Justice Department as well.

One thing I was wrong on, the crowd is estimated a much larger 2,200 people now.

[Darth Rotor]

The site you linked to said "Texas Republicans have worked overtime to make it harder for key Democratic voting groups to vote and be represented fairly". No explanation at all about how this benefits the Republicans, so why would they do it? Just because they're evil?

What makes Prairie View so special?
The University.

Back to the topic.

Can someone tell my how the Texas GOP benifits from interfering with the Texas Democratic primary process? They aren't running against each other, at this point.

For those of you not from Texas, Waller County is a bit west of Houston and Harris County. If you take Texas Highway 6 North and West from Houston, you'll go through Waller County. (A buddy of mine used to be a ROTC instructor at Prairieview A & M, Lived in Hockley).

http://geology.com/county-map/texas.shtml

Early Voting Info as of 15 Jan 2008 from the Waller County Web Site.

http://www.co.waller.tx.us/ips/cms/modules/news/news_0002.html?uri=/index.html

Not sure why, with an early voting site in Prairie View open, there weren't "enough" early voting places for the students at PV A & M. (Perception or reality?)

Reducing to one site? For the entire county? Not a good idea, IMO. Early voting is one of the better ideas to arise of late. While expense and security is an issue, one site, unless there are very few registered voters, seems to me a crappy way to implement the program.

Population, 2006 estimate 35,185 (From US Census data) Of them, 25% are under 18, so you have about 25-27,000 folks who might be registered voters. My quick look did not show how many voters are on the county rolls.

"I had to wait three to four hours to vote."

OK, that's irritating. When my mom and dad voted in 1968, Nixon versus Humphrey, we left the house at 4:00 PM on election day. We got home a little after 8:00 PM, my younger brother and sister asleep on me in the back seat of the car, my older brother up front with Mom and Dad, still talking with them about how the polls worked, etc.

No early voting, in those days.

DR

[kosai]

Can someone tell my how the Texas GOP benifits from interfering with the Texas Democratic primary process? They aren't running against each other, at this point.

DR

I haven't seen this claim being made anywhere in this thread except by WildCat so maybe he can answer you. In the original article, my assumption was they were speaking about the Republican Oliver Kitzman from previous elections who did try and suppress votes by Prairie View students in the past (and later resigned.)

http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/004083.html

If you wanted a guess from me how control of a Democratic Primary could ***possibly*** help Republicans, certainly helping Hillary get the nomination sets up a much better chance for a McCain win in November according to all the polls I have seen. I'm not saying that is what is happening but would be strategically sound.

[CptColumbo]

So, where in those articles does it say, "Texas Republicans closed a poll near PVU causing students to go on a 7 mile march on the highway to vote." They mention that the city did, as a reportedly fiscal decision. Is the city government made up of Republicans? It would also seem that the Department of Justice (part of the former Texas Governor Bush's Administration) influenced them to open more polling places.

When I was in college I cast an absetee ballot in my home district, rather then register to vote near the campus (since I was moving back in a year anyway). In some states it's not just a matter of showing up and filling out card, there may be restrictions regarding residency. This is to prevent people who haven't been living in the town and aren't going to stay long from influencing local government. My parents have recently moved to Florida and didn't meet the residency requirements to vote in the primary, and their vote wouldn't have mattered anyway thanks to the Democrats.

[Darth Rotor]

I haven't seen this claim being made anywhere in this thread except by WildCat so maybe he can answer you. In the original article, my assumption was they were speaking about the Republican Oliver Kitzman from previous elections who did try and suppress votes by Prairie View students in the past (and later resigned.)
http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/004083.html
Last November, Kitzman sent a letter to the Waller County election administrator saying students at Prairie View, a historically black university, were not automatically eligible to vote locally.
He was probably right, technically, in that they may not all have been registered, nor citizens of, Waller County. If you grow up in Dallas, and got your DL there, and registered to vote there, you are not "automatically eilgible" in Waller County. I have found that it is trivially easy to go to a courthouse, or by mail, get your residence and voting precinct changed if you move, etc, and need to change your voter registration info. Sounds like this was a guy with a long history of foot in mouth disease, and crappy relationships with part of the local community.
If you wanted a guess from me how control of a Democratic Primary could ***possibly*** help Republicans, certainly helping Hillary get the nomination sets up a much better chance for a McCain win in November according to all the polls I have seen. I'm not saying that is what is happening but would be strategically sound.
Uh, Waller County isn't a place you'll be shooting any silver bullets. Note the population figures I cited. I understand the suspisicon that the GOP would welcome one or the other as "easier to try and beat." The question is, which one?

DR

[kosai]

Uh, Waller County isn't a place you'll be shooting any silver bullets. Note the population figures I cited. I understand the suspisicon that the GOP would welcome one or the other as "easier to try and beat." The question is, which one?

DR

According to multiple polls, McCain wins against Hillary:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_clinton-224.html

and loses to Obama:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html

Like I said, I don't think this is what they are trying to do and as you've shown the population figures aren't big enough to make too much of a difference. Now that I've read more about this case, it's a very long standing issue in Waller County that seems to have erupted in this march and was not due to just one issue. However, it appears the city responded to the march by opening more early polling areas so what the students did was effective.

[WildCat]

I haven't seen this claim being made anywhere in this thread except by WildCat so maybe he can answer you.
Hey, your article claimed Texas Republicans were responsible for moving the polling place. people do things for reasons, don't they? So, what's in it for the Texas Republicans?

[kosai]

I've given an example of how it could help Republicans, I'm not saying that this *IS* the reason but if you wanted one I think mine is reasonable... Darth Rotor asked this question already, do you think it would be beneficial to run against Hillary rather than Obama given the polls I've shown?

[Darth Rotor]

I've given an example of how it could help Republicans, I'm not saying that this *IS* the reason but if you wanted one I think mine is reasonable... Darth Rotor asked this question already, do you think it would be beneficial to run against Hillary rather than Obama given the polls I've shown?

Running against Obama takes a different tacitcal approach than running against Hillary, if you are John McCain, but either benefits from a lot of swing voters being pissed off at the GOP's fun and games over the past seven years.

Please forgive me if I don't trust the polls to tell me anything useful. The Pats were a big favorite over the Giants.

Forecasting isn't precise, and often is inaccurate.

DR