As of November 5, Texans must show a photo ID with their up-to-date legal name. It sounds like such a small thing, but according to the Brennan Center for Justice, only 66% of voting age women have ready access to a photo document that will attest to proof of citizenship. This is largely because young women have not updated their documents with their married names, a circumstance that doesn’t affect male voters in any significant way. Suddenly 34% of women voters are scrambling for an acceptable ID, while 99% of men are home free.You think Texas Republicans know what they've activated? All those totally pissed off Texan women? Really? Disenfranchising voters so the Republicans can keep their grip on power exposes the last frantic gasps of a dying party. RIP to the GOP.
As of November 5, a birth certificate is not enough. Women voters will have to show legal proof of a name change: a marriage license, a divorce decree, or court ordered change; and they have to be the original documents. No photocopies allowed. This means thousands of women face the hassle of figuring out what they need and how to get it. Then they face at least a $20 fee, more if a woman doesn’t have the time to stand in line and wants it mailed. As a result, many women who are eligible to vote, won’t.
You have to hand it to Texas. Abortion politics threaten to drive the election for governor, so they have figured out a way to discourage a large group of women who are likely have a personal interest in the issue of choice: married women of child-bearing age. Women who might favor Wendy Davis.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Blocking the women's vote in Texas....
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5 comments:
Astonishing... not the fact, which is typical Texas GOP behavior, but that the first article I found when I googled was on The Voice of Russia. To this have we sunk.
I am trying, so far in vain, to find out if anyone is seeking injunctive relief due to the shortness of the time.
Damn. I just realized that my driver's license has my middle name, while my voter certificate has my middle initial. Am I going to have to resort to a 2nd Amendment solution to vote this year?
Finally found the rule. The election judge at my poll will have to fill out a line on a Similar Name Affidavit form and I will have to initial that line. That ought to slow things down a bit...
Several articles give me the impression that the problem of married women's changed names is being challenged, but so far I cannot find any real info on it. Still searching...
Oops. Thanks, Steve. I appreciate your search, I just posted without research. And my driver's license and voter name are slightly different as well .. if California goes the way of Texas.
I voted successfully today, without objection, let alone obstacle. I do not yet know if that is typical this election, or if so, if it will still be typical in 2014 when Wendy Davis faces off against Greg Abbott, who is personally no less evil than Goodhair himself.
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