As the lead author and editor of the Protecting Democracy and Ethics portion of the 2014 Texas Democratic Platform, Im proud to report Texas Democrats affirm their support for free and fair elections: The right of we the people to fairly elect our representatives, and thereby influence our local, state and federal governmental policies, is the indispensable foundation of a well functioning democracy. A healthy democracy cannot tolerate burdensome impediments on either the right to register to vote or the equal right to freely cast ballots, for any citizen. A free and healthy democracy must reject election laws and practices imposed by any political group or party on other political groups or parties for the purpose of gaining political advantage at the ballot box. In contrast, in its 2014 platform, the Texas Republican Party calls for burdensome impediments on both the right to register to vote and the equal right to vote. 2014 Texas Republican planks call for making every voter re-register to vote every four years, requiring registrants to show a certified birth certificate, or an ID that can only be obtained by showing a certified birth certificate, each time they register. Texas Republicans support requiring voters to show identity documemts at the polling place that large portions of U.S. citizens do not have. Texas Republicans call for the repeal of all Motor Voter Registration laws and the repeal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. 2014 Texas Democratic Platform: VOTING RIGHTS PROTECTION The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is “AN ACT to enforce the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.” The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was created to ensure that, “No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.” In June 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court in its Shelby County v. Holder majority opinion struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act. The majority opinion was predicated on the premise that institutional racism and systemic discrimination in voting rights have abated in Texas and other states covered by Section 4. With Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act invalidated, Texas and other Section 4 states were freed to enforce election laws previously blocked because they have the intent or effect of abridging the right of citizens to vote. Texas Democrats call on: Texas’ U.S. Senators and Congressmen to immediately enact legislation to restore Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, meeting requirements defined by the Court’s majority opinion; and The US Department of Justice to enforcement voting rights protections afforded by Sections 2 and 3 of the Voting Rights Act, until Congress enacts new Section 4 legislation, thereby, again enabling Section 5 preclearance of the Voting Rights Act. FAIR VOTER I.D. REQUIREMENTS Texas Democrats believe voters should show identification to vote, as they have for more than 20 years. While many Texans can easily reach into their wallet and produce a Texas drivers license, gun license, military ID, or U.S. Passport to qualify to vote under the SB 14 law, many other U.S. citizens eligible to vote in Texas do not have one of the limited types of I.D. required under Texas 2011 SB 14 voter photo I.D. law: 18 percent of elderly citizens; 15 percent of voters earning less than $35,000; 18 percent of citizens aged 18-24 do not have an I.D. with their current address and name; 10 percent of voters with disabilities; 25 percent of African-Americans; and Hispanic citizens are between 46% to 120% more likely not to have one of the SB14 I.D.’s. We oppose any law that could make it more difficult for a qualified citizen to exercise their right to vote. Allegations of in-person voter impersonation fraud get big headlines. What does not get headlines is the fact that nearly all allegations of voter fraud turn out to be clerical errors, data matching mistakes, or misunderstandings. In reality, voter impersonation fraud is extremely rare. Texas Democrats call for the return of sensible voter I.D. requirements that have long given Texas fair and honest elections: Texas Voter Registration Certificate; A driver’s license or personal identification card issued by the Texas Department of PublicSafety or similar documents from other states; A form of identification containing a photograph that establishes a person’s identity (such as an employee or student identification card); A birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes a person’s identity; United States citizenship papers; a United States passport; Official mail addressed to the person by name from a governmental agency; A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or othergovernment document that shows the name and address of the voter; or Any other form of identification presented by the Secretary of State’s office.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 11:07:23 +0000
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