ANY REGISTERED VOTER IN TEXAS CAN PARTICIPATE TOMORROW! This news just came out! Here's my email exchange with the lawyer for the Republican Party of Texas! Bring all registered Ron Paul supporters!
Please read the following email exchange between me, Steve Munisteri, Republican Party of Texas Chairman, and the Assistant General Counsel for the Republican Party of Texas, Mr. Jesse Opiela.
IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED & ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN ANY COUNTY IN TEXAS, YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AT THE BEXAR COUNTY PRECINCT AND SENATORIAL CONVENTIONS ON SATURDAY, APRIL 14TH!! (Or in your county!)
This is HUGE for college towns. All you have to do is prove that you're registered in another county and establish residency in Bexar Co by filling out a voter registration card on the spot tomorrow. You can prove that you're registered at this link: https://team1.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/faces/Introduction.jsp
______________________________________
From: Rob H
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2012 1:20 AM
To: Steve Munisteri
Subject: RPT Rule 25a. Clarification Needed, Bexar Co
Hello Mr. Munisteri,
I was hoping you could clarify a rule for me, as I am trying to help a some friends participate in the up-coming precinct and senatorial conventions in Bexar County. I was told through the grape vine that you'd give a fair assessment of the issue at hand!
It's my understanding that according to this court ruling (http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/court-order-022812-144.pdf), several sections of the T.E.C. were suspended due to the redistricting issues, and the SREC was tasked with developing rules to govern the conventions on April 14th in Bexar County. The SREC has since developed these rules and published them here: http://s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre/assets/original/2011RPTRules_Amended.pdf.
Rule 25a. states the following in brevity:
Rule No. 25 - Qualifications for Participation, Persons Admitted and Who May Address
a. Qualifications for Participation – The only qualification for participation in a Convention shall be that a registered voter in the territory covered by the Convention, OR A RESIDENT of that territory who is eligible to vote a limited ballot, shall have established Party affiliation.
According to T.E.C. Chapter 112, (Sec. 112.002) a person is eligible to vote a limited ballot if:
Sec. 112.002. ELIGIBILITY
(a) After changing residence to another county, a person is eligible to vote a limited ballot by personal appearance during the early voting period or by mail if:
(1) the person would have been eligible to vote in the county of former residence on election day if still residing in that county;
(2) the person is registered to vote in the county of former residence at the time the person:
(A) offers to vote in the county of new residence; or
(B) submitted a voter registration application in the county of new residence; and
(3) a voter registration for the person in the county of new residence is not effective on or before election day.
Source: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/EL/htm/EL.112.htm#112.001
So my questions is, if my friends are currently registered and eligible to vote in another county in Texas but now are residents in Bexar County, what documents do they have to bring with them to the Bexar County Precinct Conventions on April 14th in order to be credentialed and allowed to participate in the delegate selection process?
I understand they may have to complete an Applications for Limited Ballot , but couldn't they fill that out at the polls on May 29th also here in Bexar County?
I know this is last minute, but I'm hoping your clarification will help things run a little more smoothly on Saturday. Can you please shed some light on this?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Rob H
______________________________________
On Apr 13, 2012, at 11:02 AM, Steve Munisteri wrote:
Rob - This is VERY last minute on a very busy day getting ready for conventions around the state;However, I have passed along your inquiry to our legal counsel to see if he or staff has time to address your question as I am shortly leaving for Houston - Steve
______________________________________
On Fri, Apr 13, 2012 at 11:47 AM, Eric Opiela wrote:
The process for determining eligibility to vote a limited ballot is simple. To be eligible to vote a limited ballot in a jurisdiction, a person must currently be a registered voter in another county in Texas. The person seeking to qualify as a delegate at your convention must present a voter registration card showing they are registered to vote in a county other than yours. The person must also have established residency in your jurisdiction. A good way to show that is by registering to vote in your jurisdiction. I recommend the person be required to fill out a voter registration card on the spot before qualifying him or show proof that he has registered already (e.g. deputy voter registrar's receipt given when registering in person at your county elections office). You may also check the voter roll for his name with a future effective date of registration. Those two steps would qualify a person to vote a limited ballot in your county and therefore make him eligible to participate in your convention. They need not fill out the Application for limited ballot, so long as they have actually filled out a voter registration application in your county at the time you credential them.
Eric Opiela
Asst. General Counsel
Republican Party of Texas
______________________________________
On Fri, Apr 13, 2012 at 12:16 PM, Rob H wrote:
Mr. Opiela,
Thanks so much for your response!
What if the person seeking to qualify as a delegate at the precinct convention does NOT have their voter registration card, BUT their registration status in another Texas county could be verified onsite using this link: https://team1.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/faces/Introduction.jsp. I just don't know where we'd be able to find the person's VUID number since that link only proves they are registered, but does not provide their VUID number. Thoughts?
Additionally, I know Bexar Co. hasn't finalized 2012 precincts so we're using 2010 precincts. Voter registration cards are not even available yet in Bexar Co. I'm sure this may be true in other counties too making it impossible to comply for any new voters or voters who lost their registration card.
Thanks again for your quick response! You've been of great help!
Regards,
Rob H
______________________________________
On Fri, Apr 13, 2012 at 3:04 PM, Eric Opiela wrote:
I would not use the SOS system as a definitive proof of registration status (or more particularly, the lack thereof). The TEAM system, due to redistricting, is not up to date for many counties. Some are as much as 4-5 months behind, especially large urban counties. Therefore, if someone does not show up in TEAM, they may still be registered to vote in their prior county of residence. That is why I recommended requiring persons desiring to participate as a limited ballot resident to present a voter registration card from their prior county of residence. A printout from their prior county's system would suffice as well. You also might be able to go to the prior county's website and look them up. In Texas voter registrars are at the county level, so the definitive record lies with them, not the Secretary of State.
Eric
______________________________________
On Apr 13, 2012, at 3:57 PM, Rob H
Mr. Opiela,
I'm glad you're on top of this as it seems to be pretty technical legal jargon that keeps begging other questions! I'm very appreciative of your attempts to clarify, but I wish I was more astute with the election code and the governing rules. Good point on the SOS system being not up-to-date for someone who IS registered. I guess I just can't comprehend how a new voter who has NEVER received a voter's registration card or a voter who LOST their voter's registration card could produce a voter's registration card as proof he's registered. That task seems virtually impossible to do! The statue seems to only require that the person is "eligible" but does not stipulate approved methods for proving "eligibility." I'm not sure on the feasibility of getting access to the county's records online or via phone on a Saturday, but when I attempted to do this for Bexar County, their website just links to the SOS site to check if you're registered: http://elections.bexar.org/Registration/registration.html
I would recommend a seemingly reasonable, simple, and flexible solution that should keep all parties happy, that is, by whatever means available, the Bexar Co Resident wishing to participate should provide ANY documentation to the Credentials Committee during check-in that shows they are registered to vote ANYWHERE in Texas. This could be a voter's registration card, an online SOS search, a call to the former county, a printout from the county's system (will all Texas counties be open on Saturday at 7:00am?!), or any other way to prove to the Temporary Committee that the person is currently registered in Texas and hence eligible to vote a limited ballot and therefore eligible to participate in the conventions. Once proved that the Bexar Co Resident is registered in Texas, AND has established residency in Bexar County by filling out a voter registration card on the spot, the Bexar Co Resident should be allowed to participate in the precinct, senatorial, and state conventions provided they get elected as a delegate and obviously provided that they sign their oath of affiliation.
Please confirm.
Thanks,
Rob Hinojosa
______________________________________
On Fri, Apr 13, 2012 at 4:25 PM, Eric Opiela wrote:
I agree. If they can provide proof, in whatever form, AND they register to vote in your county, they should be allowed to participate. If they cannot provide the necessary proof, even if this is due to the voter registrar's office being closed, they should not be allowed to participate. The credentials committee at the state convention will be the ultimate arbiter, but in my opinion, you should make every effort to try to qualify a person, if possible, but not qualify someone who cannot provide any documentation. This is the same standard used by election judges at polling places prior to the provisional ballot procedure implemented in HAVA. If a person has registered prior to the last 30 days they should have received a voter registration card by now, as noted before, new voters (less than 30 days) are not entitled to participate. If they lost their card, they can obtain certification now, while the offices are still open, to participate tomorrow. I don't anticipate this being a large problem tomorrow or next weekend.
Eric
______________________________________
So there you have it folks! Straight from the top! ALL RON PAUL SUPPORTERS WHO ARE REGISTERED VOTERS IN OTHER TEXAS COUNTIES CAN PARTICIPATE TOMORROW IN BEXAR COUNTY after prove they are registered and fill out a voter's registration card!
For Liberty,
Rob
Please read the following email exchange between me, Steve Munisteri, Republican Party of Texas Chairman, and the Assistant General Counsel for the Republican Party of Texas, Mr. Jesse Opiela.
IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED & ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN ANY COUNTY IN TEXAS, YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AT THE BEXAR COUNTY PRECINCT AND SENATORIAL CONVENTIONS ON SATURDAY, APRIL 14TH!! (Or in your county!)
This is HUGE for college towns. All you have to do is prove that you're registered in another county and establish residency in Bexar Co by filling out a voter registration card on the spot tomorrow. You can prove that you're registered at this link: https://team1.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/faces/Introduction.jsp
______________________________________
From: Rob H
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2012 1:20 AM
To: Steve Munisteri
Subject: RPT Rule 25a. Clarification Needed, Bexar Co
Hello Mr. Munisteri,
I was hoping you could clarify a rule for me, as I am trying to help a some friends participate in the up-coming precinct and senatorial conventions in Bexar County. I was told through the grape vine that you'd give a fair assessment of the issue at hand!
It's my understanding that according to this court ruling (http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/court-order-022812-144.pdf), several sections of the T.E.C. were suspended due to the redistricting issues, and the SREC was tasked with developing rules to govern the conventions on April 14th in Bexar County. The SREC has since developed these rules and published them here: http://s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre/assets/original/2011RPTRules_Amended.pdf.
Rule 25a. states the following in brevity:
Rule No. 25 - Qualifications for Participation, Persons Admitted and Who May Address
a. Qualifications for Participation – The only qualification for participation in a Convention shall be that a registered voter in the territory covered by the Convention, OR A RESIDENT of that territory who is eligible to vote a limited ballot, shall have established Party affiliation.
According to T.E.C. Chapter 112, (Sec. 112.002) a person is eligible to vote a limited ballot if:
Sec. 112.002. ELIGIBILITY
(a) After changing residence to another county, a person is eligible to vote a limited ballot by personal appearance during the early voting period or by mail if:
(1) the person would have been eligible to vote in the county of former residence on election day if still residing in that county;
(2) the person is registered to vote in the county of former residence at the time the person:
(A) offers to vote in the county of new residence; or
(B) submitted a voter registration application in the county of new residence; and
(3) a voter registration for the person in the county of new residence is not effective on or before election day.
Source: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/EL/htm/EL.112.htm#112.001
So my questions is, if my friends are currently registered and eligible to vote in another county in Texas but now are residents in Bexar County, what documents do they have to bring with them to the Bexar County Precinct Conventions on April 14th in order to be credentialed and allowed to participate in the delegate selection process?
I understand they may have to complete an Applications for Limited Ballot , but couldn't they fill that out at the polls on May 29th also here in Bexar County?
I know this is last minute, but I'm hoping your clarification will help things run a little more smoothly on Saturday. Can you please shed some light on this?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Rob H
______________________________________
On Apr 13, 2012, at 11:02 AM, Steve Munisteri wrote:
Rob - This is VERY last minute on a very busy day getting ready for conventions around the state;However, I have passed along your inquiry to our legal counsel to see if he or staff has time to address your question as I am shortly leaving for Houston - Steve
______________________________________
On Fri, Apr 13, 2012 at 11:47 AM, Eric Opiela wrote:
The process for determining eligibility to vote a limited ballot is simple. To be eligible to vote a limited ballot in a jurisdiction, a person must currently be a registered voter in another county in Texas. The person seeking to qualify as a delegate at your convention must present a voter registration card showing they are registered to vote in a county other than yours. The person must also have established residency in your jurisdiction. A good way to show that is by registering to vote in your jurisdiction. I recommend the person be required to fill out a voter registration card on the spot before qualifying him or show proof that he has registered already (e.g. deputy voter registrar's receipt given when registering in person at your county elections office). You may also check the voter roll for his name with a future effective date of registration. Those two steps would qualify a person to vote a limited ballot in your county and therefore make him eligible to participate in your convention. They need not fill out the Application for limited ballot, so long as they have actually filled out a voter registration application in your county at the time you credential them.
Eric Opiela
Asst. General Counsel
Republican Party of Texas
______________________________________
On Fri, Apr 13, 2012 at 12:16 PM, Rob H wrote:
Mr. Opiela,
Thanks so much for your response!
What if the person seeking to qualify as a delegate at the precinct convention does NOT have their voter registration card, BUT their registration status in another Texas county could be verified onsite using this link: https://team1.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/faces/Introduction.jsp. I just don't know where we'd be able to find the person's VUID number since that link only proves they are registered, but does not provide their VUID number. Thoughts?
Additionally, I know Bexar Co. hasn't finalized 2012 precincts so we're using 2010 precincts. Voter registration cards are not even available yet in Bexar Co. I'm sure this may be true in other counties too making it impossible to comply for any new voters or voters who lost their registration card.
Thanks again for your quick response! You've been of great help!
Regards,
Rob H
______________________________________
On Fri, Apr 13, 2012 at 3:04 PM, Eric Opiela wrote:
I would not use the SOS system as a definitive proof of registration status (or more particularly, the lack thereof). The TEAM system, due to redistricting, is not up to date for many counties. Some are as much as 4-5 months behind, especially large urban counties. Therefore, if someone does not show up in TEAM, they may still be registered to vote in their prior county of residence. That is why I recommended requiring persons desiring to participate as a limited ballot resident to present a voter registration card from their prior county of residence. A printout from their prior county's system would suffice as well. You also might be able to go to the prior county's website and look them up. In Texas voter registrars are at the county level, so the definitive record lies with them, not the Secretary of State.
Eric
______________________________________
On Apr 13, 2012, at 3:57 PM, Rob H
Mr. Opiela,
I'm glad you're on top of this as it seems to be pretty technical legal jargon that keeps begging other questions! I'm very appreciative of your attempts to clarify, but I wish I was more astute with the election code and the governing rules. Good point on the SOS system being not up-to-date for someone who IS registered. I guess I just can't comprehend how a new voter who has NEVER received a voter's registration card or a voter who LOST their voter's registration card could produce a voter's registration card as proof he's registered. That task seems virtually impossible to do! The statue seems to only require that the person is "eligible" but does not stipulate approved methods for proving "eligibility." I'm not sure on the feasibility of getting access to the county's records online or via phone on a Saturday, but when I attempted to do this for Bexar County, their website just links to the SOS site to check if you're registered: http://elections.bexar.org/Registration/registration.html
I would recommend a seemingly reasonable, simple, and flexible solution that should keep all parties happy, that is, by whatever means available, the Bexar Co Resident wishing to participate should provide ANY documentation to the Credentials Committee during check-in that shows they are registered to vote ANYWHERE in Texas. This could be a voter's registration card, an online SOS search, a call to the former county, a printout from the county's system (will all Texas counties be open on Saturday at 7:00am?!), or any other way to prove to the Temporary Committee that the person is currently registered in Texas and hence eligible to vote a limited ballot and therefore eligible to participate in the conventions. Once proved that the Bexar Co Resident is registered in Texas, AND has established residency in Bexar County by filling out a voter registration card on the spot, the Bexar Co Resident should be allowed to participate in the precinct, senatorial, and state conventions provided they get elected as a delegate and obviously provided that they sign their oath of affiliation.
Please confirm.
Thanks,
Rob Hinojosa
______________________________________
On Fri, Apr 13, 2012 at 4:25 PM, Eric Opiela wrote:
I agree. If they can provide proof, in whatever form, AND they register to vote in your county, they should be allowed to participate. If they cannot provide the necessary proof, even if this is due to the voter registrar's office being closed, they should not be allowed to participate. The credentials committee at the state convention will be the ultimate arbiter, but in my opinion, you should make every effort to try to qualify a person, if possible, but not qualify someone who cannot provide any documentation. This is the same standard used by election judges at polling places prior to the provisional ballot procedure implemented in HAVA. If a person has registered prior to the last 30 days they should have received a voter registration card by now, as noted before, new voters (less than 30 days) are not entitled to participate. If they lost their card, they can obtain certification now, while the offices are still open, to participate tomorrow. I don't anticipate this being a large problem tomorrow or next weekend.
Eric
______________________________________
So there you have it folks! Straight from the top! ALL RON PAUL SUPPORTERS WHO ARE REGISTERED VOTERS IN OTHER TEXAS COUNTIES CAN PARTICIPATE TOMORROW IN BEXAR COUNTY after prove they are registered and fill out a voter's registration card!
For Liberty,
Rob
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