From: chair@graysondemocrats.org [mailto:chair@graysondemocrats.org]
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 11:15 PM
To: elections@sos.state.tx.us
Cc: askdoj@usdoj.gov; editor@ntxe-news.com; news@heralddemocrat.com; hdonline@heralddemocrat.com
Subject: In Opposition to Reduction in Number of Polling Locations in Grayson County for Elections
To: Texas Secretary of State John Steen
CC: Attorney General Eric Holder, Herald Democrat, North Texas e-News
July 25, 2013
The Grayson County Democratic Party opposes the reduction of voting places currently being considered by your office. Below please read our Press Release and Resolution on the subject and consider this before making your decision to approve the plan. Thank you.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GRAYSON COUNTY DEMOCRATS OPPOSES REDUCING VOTING LOCATIONS
The Grayson County Democratic Party opposes reducing the number of polling locations in the county as proposed by the County Clerk’s office. Reducing the number of voting sites to 20 from the current 36 was put forth by Wilma Bush, the Grayson County Clerk at a meeting of the Election Advisory Committee. [The number of voting places was reduced from 54 to 36 in 2010]. As presented, the plan would allow a Grayson County citizen to vote at any of the 20 proposed ‘voting centers’, many of which could entail more travel than the traditional precinct voting locations. The plan was unanimously rejected by the Grayson County Democratic Party general membership in their meeting on June 27, 2013
“This plan is a bad idea,” said County Chair Lander Bethel. “We were told it will cost more than the current election procedure, with fewer places to vote, and could lead to a reduction in the number of voters”, Lander said. “People are accustomed to voting in their own town and precinct, and a change as massive as this one will lead to confusion and, we believe, reduce turnout at the polls which is not a desirable result. It doesn’t make sense to raise the cost of holding an election to produce no benefit for the voters, and at the same time discourage voter turnout,” Bethel concluded.
As part of their vote, the membership called for more study and greater citizen participation in the process before any changes are made. The membership did support the use of a universal voter list to allow any voter to cast a ballet at any polling place.
For further information, please contact Lander Bethel at 903-327-4684 or chair@graysondemocrats.org.
THE RESOLUTION:
Grayson County Democratic Party Resolution on Grayson County CLERK’S OFFICES’ PROPOSAL TO REPLACE 36 PRECINCT VOTING LOCATIONS WITH 20 “VOTING CENTERS.”
WHEREAS fewer polling places makes voting more difficult for many people;
AND
WHEREAS fewer polling places could disenfranchise rural and other voters without access to adequate transportation;
AND
WHEREAS fewer polling places may increase the work load on election judges and other poll workers;
AND
WHEREAS fewer polling places could THEREFORE lead to reduced VOTER TURNOUT;
AND
WHEREAS this proposal WILL INCREASE THE COSTS OF ELECTION AND has not been PROPERLY studied to determine the burden of cost or distance it will place on voters CONVIENENCE IN EXERCISING their Constitutional right to vote;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT THE GRAYSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY OPPOSES THE PROPOSAL TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF POLLING PLACES IN GRAYSON COUNTY FROM 36 TO 20 OR 21, BUT SUPPORTS THE USE OF A UNIVERSAL VOTER LIST TO ALLOW ANY VOTER TO CAST A BALLOT AT ANY POLLING PLACE.
NOTE: Discussion included the possibility of minority exclusion with greater distances to the polls. We did not have county GIS data and did not know where the 22 new polling places were to be located. This needs to be looked at carefully.
Lander Bethel, Chair
Barbara Rush, Co-Chair
Deborah Chapman West, Secretary
Judy Baker, Treasurer
General telephone for GCDP: 903-327-4684