TX Governor Restricts Ballot Drop-Off Locations to 1 per County

[Pommer]

Obviously the Court should overturn this. Texans, mail in your votes early.

Exactly...why not an edict from the governor to make sure everybody stays home on Election Day so that “workers can come and collect” ballots?

Especially 32 days before an election, ain’t gonna fly in federal court.

 

[KCfromNC]

What changed?

The presidential polling, for one thing : Texas President: general election Polls

 

[wing2000]

...as expected, a lawsuit has been filed to reverse the Gov's order:

The Texas and National Leagues of United Latin American Citizens, the League of Women Voters of Texas and two Texas voters asked a federal judge in Austin in a lawsuit filed late Thursday to overturn the governor’s order, which forced Travis and Harris counties — two of the state’s most important Democratic strongholds — to shutter a number of drop-off sites they had already opened this week.

Voters, voting rights groups sue Gov. Greg Abbott over order to close ballot drop-off locations

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

After 243 years Americans realized democracy is overrated ….monarchism is not that bad

Just ditch those ballot boxes to nearest harbor for symbolism to show that cycle has finished when Trump ascends the throne.

 

[Jamsie]

Texas governor limits election drop boxes to one per county in sprawling state
Texas governor limits election drop boxes to one per county in sprawling state - CNNPolitics

Harris County has 4 million people and over 1700 square miles.

Lest we forget...Texas closes hundreds of polling sites, making it harder for minorities to vote

 

[keith99]

It is worth pointing out that Harris County (while the largest by population) is only the 14th largest county in Texas by size. Twelve Texas counties are over 2,000 sq miles, seven are over 3,000, three over 4,000, and the largest county, Brewster, is over 6,000 sq. miles. To put that in context, 10 Texas counties are larger than the state of Maryland

Heck, King ranch is bigger than several states. And it at least used to have lions! Loads of fun going out to an oil rig when you ahve to pass through lion country! Bump gates are your friend!

 

[ZNP]

In Houston, that’s easily an hour round-trip without traffic.

Without traffic? Houston? I lived there for years and don't ever remember it being without traffic. What about those who don't have a car?

 

[ZNP]

You ever drive in Houston or Dallas?

Yes. Houston was horrible, every day.

 

[ZNP]

It's just HS geometry (or easier). Perhaps, more importantly, its a county with more than 4 million residents, so things might get a bit crowded at the drop box.

Easy fix, put it in the middle of I10 and 610, easy to get to by car, impossible to get to any other way, and no parking, no way to stop, that will solve the crowds at the drop box.

 

[ZNP]

They are taking this step only because Texas might actually be in play this year, with substantial numbers of suburbanites defecting from supporting Trump.

Another derivative of that fact that it is not "one person one vote" in the US but rather each State gets awarded electoral college votes, not by how many actually vote but rather by the population. Imagine one person votes in Texas, no one else does, and they still get the same number of electoral college votes as if tens of millions voted. Suppose they did something radical and the winner of the popular vote won the election!

 

[ZNP]

It is worth pointing out that Harris County (while the largest by population) is only the 14th largest county in Texas by size. Twelve Texas counties are over 2,000 sq miles, seven are over 3,000, three over 4,000, and the largest county, Brewster, is over 6,000 sq. miles. To put that in context, 10 Texas counties are larger than the state of Maryland

It's also worth pointing out that apart from Austin and Houston the rest of the State is pretty dependable as far as being conservative and Republican. If you are trying to swing the election to the Republicans you don't want to limit the votes in the rural areas, only in Houston and Austin. Due to Covid19 it is possible that Austin is not packed with college kids.

 

[ZNP]

So, if the box was dropped in the center of the county, how far would people have to travel?

The center of Houston? Are you kidding?

 

[SimplyMe]

The center of Houston? Are you kidding?View attachment 285627

That isn't the center of Houston, it is 10 miles away from the Downtown area.

 

[Vylo]

Meanwhile my little 100k person county has 11 boxes. There is one less than a mile from me.

 

[ZNP]

That isn't the center of Houston, it is 10 miles away from the Downtown area.

The center of Houston is not at the center of Harris county.

If you weight the center by population as well as geography it is more like the intersection of 45 and 610

 

[iluvatar5150]

Without traffic? Houston? I lived there for years and don't ever remember it being without traffic. What about those who don't have a car?

yep

 

[KCfromNC]

Without traffic? Houston? I lived there for years and don't ever remember it being without traffic. What about those who don't have a car?

Might be a bit taxing for them to get to the polls, but there's nothing wrong with that. If they wanted to actually be treated as real citizens, the should have been pulling harder on their bootstraps to earn the privilege to vote.

 

[wing2000]

humm..... Houston has traffic. Can we move on?

 

[cow451]

humm..... Houston has traffic. Can we move on?

Not until they clear that three-car crash...

 

[ZNP]

Not until they clear that three-car crash...

My first experience of Houston traffic I was on the freeway, complete stop, people out on the hoods of their car relaxing in the sun. It took about 2 hours to get home when it should have taken less than 30 minutes. I rushed to see the news to see what had happened but nothing. The next day coming home, same thing.