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U.S. government policies have hit retirees hard in recent years, but we're starting to hit back! Retirees at UAW Local 848 in Grand Prairie are taking the lead in the union's voter registration efforts. At their July 10 luncheon, they hosted three workers from the Dallas County Elections Commission. Toni Pippin explained the "ins and outs" of election law with an emphasis on registering voters.
Ms
Toni Pippin explained the system and took questions. The 1993 National Voter
Registration Act, like most related legislation in American history, made it
easier for people to vote. Among other improvements, it enabled people to register
to vote while they are updating their driver's license. Ms Pippin pointed out
that it is legal for people who have moved to go back and vote in the precinct
where they were last registered.
The "Help America Vote Act (HAVA)" came into being after the Florida scandals of the first Bush election, when thousands of voters were excluded. The act allows a provisional affidavit for people not "on the list." Provisional ballots have to be checked before being counted. All applications have to be checked with the state data base since the time that a news reporter deliberately registered his dog.
All voter applications in Texas have to reach the County officials at least one month before the election. Normally, people receive a voter slip, with their Texas voter identification number, within 30 days of mailing their voter registration application. Most people use a white card that is free. The postage is free, also. Cards may be obtained from the county office, or on-line from the Texas Secretary of State at http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/2008dates.shtml.
Activists may become deputy
registrars in their county by filling out the proper forms. A deputy registrar
is more knowledgeable about election law and can be more effective at registering
voters. While anybody in Texas can distribute or use the usual white mail-in
cards, 
only
deputy registrars may use the green cards. The big advantage with the green
card is that it includes a receipt. The voter can use that receipt as proof
of having registered, even if their regular registration slip is delayed. They
can vote with the receipt. The downside is that the deputy registrar is responsible
for turning the green cards in to the county election office, and may not mail
them. Also, the deputy registrar status is only good for registering voters
within that county, while the white cards are the same all over the state.
Activists using white cards to register voters from different counties will need to know the zip codes of the election office in each county. Some of them are listed on this site. The Secretary of State site has them all.
When Ms Pippin asked the retirees if they were all registered to vote, she received a typical response: everybody was already registered. The truth is that people are usually too embarrassed to admit that they aren't properly registered at their present address. Ms Pippin pointed out that there are over 2 million eligible voters in Dallas County, while only about 1.1 million of them are properly registered! And Dallas is one of the most politically active counties in the state! To do a good job of registering voters, the activist has to ask people personally and discreetly.
Local 848's retirees also
discussed the need for a public action to emphasize the health care issue. Everybody
then chowed down on a delicious barbecue luncheon.
Need any kind of information about voting in Texas? Check out the Secretary of State's page at http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/2008dates.shtml.
Email to webmaster (Gene Lantz) Back to home page Back to Headlines