LeftInTX
LeftInTX's JournalTrump needs to give up golf. His course is about as secure as a municipal golf course!
Judge halts search of digital devices in Texas vote harvesting investigation (One subject of Paxton's raids)
Manuel Medina, former Bexar Co. Democratic Party chair, had home searched as part of Texas Attorney General’s investigation
SAN ANTONIO – A judge ordered a temporary halt to the search of digital devices confiscated from Manuel Medina, the former chair of the Bexar County Democratic Party, in an investigation led by the Texas Attorney General’s Office into alleged illegal vote harvesting.
The devices, which include more than 60 cellphones and over 40 computers, were seized more than two weeks ago after investigators searched Medina’s home.
Medina appeared in district court Wednesday, arguing that authorities lacked a warrant to search the contents of the devices.
The investigation centers on allegations that Medina was recorded discussing a scheme to collect votes for Texas House candidate Cecilia Castellano, a Democrat whom Medina previously served as an aide.
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/09/12/judge-halts-search-of-digital-devices-in-texas-vote-harvesting-investigation/
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Good! Paxton bit off more than he can chew with Manuel Medina..LOL
The guy has the best defense attorney in town...
Live: Francine Aftermath
I watched it live via webcam on Bourbon St. (Protected area) No damage. But Bourbon St is on higher ground and the buildings act as a windbreak.
Most of New Orleans metro had fairly severe flash flooding from rain.
Kenner had 10 inches of rain.
Storm drains clogged with debri and clogged drains lead to flooding.
This caused back up and some homes flooded with rain water.
Rain water has receded from homes. (But still, yuck)
Power outages etc.
However, unlike other cities New Orleans also relies on pumps for drainage.
A few pumps didn't work for awhile due to outages, but they quickly went back online.
Schools closed etc.
Of course, coastal areas have more damage.
I'm getting a Hurricane Isaac (2012) vibe.
Here's Trump's BFF, Abdul. The guy he invited to Camp David
Abdul Ghani Baradar –
The 53-year-old was deputy leader under ex-chief Mullah Mohammed Omar, whose support for Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden led to the US-led invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11.
Ken Paxton sues Travis County to block voter registration efforts
Source: Texas Tribune
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Travis County to block an effort to register more voters before the November election.
The Texas Tribune and Votebeat obtained a draft copy of the lawsuit.
Paxton's lawsuit follows a decision by the Travis County commissioners to hire Civic Government Solutions to contact non-registered county residents and encourage them to register. Travis County includes Austin.
"We just thought it was nice thing to do," said Ann Howard, a Travis County Commissioner at The Texas Tribune Festival shortly after news of the lawsuit was made public.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/06/texas-ken-paxton-travis-county-voter-registration/
Filing here: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/Travis%20County%20Voter%20Registration%20Complaint%20Filestamped.pdf
This is a slightly different case than Bexar County:
1. Travis went through open bidding (Bexar County did not)
2. It sounds like Travis County is requesting a only list from CGS (Bexar County was not asking CGS for a list. They wanted CGS to do everything, thus bypassing a state verification system)
3. It sounds like Travis County was going to mail the applications themselves. (Bexar County was gonna pay CGS to do it)
4. A price per voter was not quoted in this case. (No pay per voter)
Travis has a higher chance of prevailing than Bexar County.
However, you know how the Texas Supreme Court is.
Informative article about the Suspense List:
Federal law requires states that abide by the 1993 National Voter Registration Act to maintain voter rolls in each state. However, states are allowed to establish their own systems of voter roll maintenance within the guidelines of federal law. In Texas, the state uses the term 'suspense list' to refer to voters who potentially have address discrepancies.
Voters on the suspense list are still allowed to vote in the 2024 Presidential election, so long as they can attest to their address on the date they are casting a ballot. Registered voters for the November election can also go online before the Oct. 7 voter registration deadline to update their address at votetexas.gov.
In an emailed response to questions from the KHOU 11 Verify Team about when notices are sent out to voters in Fort Bend County, Oldham says, "In December of odd-numbered years all registered voters are to be mailed a replacement voter certificate. That is a non-forwardable piece of mail. If it is returned to the voter registrar as undeliverable then the voter is placed on Suspense and is sent a forwardable Confirmation Notice. If the voter returns the Notice indicating that they still live at the same address, they are returned to Active status. If they return the Notice and update their address to a new one in the county, their record is updated and they are returned to Active status. If they return the Notice indicating that they have moved to an address outside of Fort Bend County, then their registration is canceled. If a family member returns the card indicating the voter is deceased, they will be canceled. If the voter does not receive the card or does not respond, then they remain in Suspense for two Federal Elections, after which their registration is canceled. Voters on Suspense may also complete a form called a Statement of Residence affirming their old address, or updating to a different address within the county."
https://www.khou.com/article/news/verify/verify-texas-purge-suspense-list-voters/285-cfc46283-b2ba-44d1-a1d3-bc1987a479a1
There is alot of drama about the Suspense List and purged voters etc. Factual articles about the Suspense List are hard to come by. This is how it was explained to me by our elections administrator. It's just hard to find anything in writing about it.
Abbott likes to brag about purging voters, but there is a good chance that 463,000 of those on the Suspense List were purged in December 2022.
I notice that he adds, "Since 2021" to his purges and doesn't give the dates when they were purged.
Mass purging of voters 90 days before an election is a violation of federal law. (I think in certain cases a voter can be purged within the 90 days if there is a verified death or felony conviction) However, there is a good chance that Abbott is using scare tactics in his announcement.
There is probably no federal law which regulates when or if Abbott provides "press releases". For instance, I don't think he made a press release in early 2023 about the Suspense List purge. He just waited until August 2024.
There is concern that 6,500 potential non-citizens have been removed. This issue is being pursued by the ACLU and the LWV.
This is important. The odds are the 463,000 Suspense List voters were purged in December 2022 or earlier. That's because the Suspense List is maintained by the counties.
It's good that ACLU and LWV are requesting records.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25079983-texas-nvra-letter-final
Demand for Documents. The NVRA requires that Texas, upon request, produce “all records concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters.” 52 U.S.C. § 20507(i)(1).
We therefore request that documents sufficient to show the following be produced promptly:
1. Individualized voter information8 for each of the following voters and voter registration applicants:
a) All registered voters your office identified as potential noncitizens from September 7, 2021 to the present;
b) All registered voters issued notice letters on the basis of alleged “non- U.S. citizenship”9 from September 7, 2021 to the present; c) All voters canceled, purged, or otherwise removed from the list of eligible voters for alleged “non-U.S. citizenship”10 from September 7, 2021 to the present;
d) All voters canceled, purged, or otherwise removed from the list of eligible voters for alleged “failure to respond to notice of examination based on non-U.S. citizenship”11 from September 7, 2021 to the present;
e) All voters canceled, purged, or otherwise removed from the list of eligible voters for any reason other than “non-U.S. citizenship” or “failure to7 respond to notice of examination based on non-U.S. citizenship”12 from September 7, 2021 to the present; and
f) All voter registration applicants denied registration due to potential or actual status as a noncitizen from September 7, 2021 to the present;
Federal laws pertaining to voter registration list maintenance:
https://www.eac.gov/sites/default/files/eac_assets/1/6/FACT_SHEET_-_Voter_Confidence_and_NVRA.pdf
The NVRA allows states to remove voters who have not voted in two consecutive federal general elections
and failed to respond to a confirmation notice from an elections office. Other reasons for removal include death, felony
conviction, having moved from one jurisdiction to another, mental incompetence, or at the voter’s request.
https://www.eac.gov/blogs/list-maintenance-national-voter-registration-act
DPS saves stranded parents, 3-month-old baby from Guadalupe Mountains
The family "ran out of water and began experiencing signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion."
Two 23-year-old hikers and their 3-month-old infant were rescued via airlift from Guadalupe Mountains National Park after being stranded last week.
At around 4:15 p.m. Aug. 22, park rangers alerted the Texas Department of Public Safety's Aircraft Operations Division to a distressed family of three stranded on the side of Guadalupe Peak in Culberson County. According to DPS, the family began their hike around midmorning.
After hiking nine miles, the family "ran out of water and began experiencing signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion" at approximately 3 p.m., due to the park's high temperatures throughout the day.
DPS sent an airplane to pinpoint the family's location. After DPS crew members found the hikers and their baby on the side of Guadalupe Peak, they dispatched a rescue helicopter to help the distressed family.
https://www.expressnews.com/news/texas/article/texas-dps-rescue-hikers-family-infant-baby-19731086.php
They are very lucky! I'm surprised they had cell service up there!
No comment on bringing a 3 mo old out in this heat. The parents' faces have been edited out.
ETA: More informative link: https://people.com/family-including-3-month-old-baby-rescued-after-getting-stranded-on-mountain-8703667
They started hiking mid-morning.
Ick..I just found out that Trump is eligible to be buried at Arlington.
All presidents and former presidents are eligible.
There is good news: He cannot be president if he's six feet under.
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY BURIAL ELIGIBILITY
ACT
https://www.congress.gov/105/crpt/hrpt458/CRPT-105hrpt458.pdf
Please stop spreading rumors about expired driver's licenses and voting!
They are used to suppress votes.
Even in Texas if your license is expired you can vote!
There is no state that requires that you "drive a car" in order to vote!
I know someone who didn't vote because they did not renew their license and thought they couldn't vote if their license was expired.
I don't know the origins of this rumor, but it's a bad one that Democrats shouldn't be spreading.
If your license is expired, you should not be driving!
If you have a valid license, it does not mean you are registered!
More about voter registration here with links to registration checks and how to register in each state: https://www.eac.gov/voters/register-and-vote-in-your-state
CLAIM: In Texas, you can vote with an expired driver's license.
TRUE: “That is correct. You will need an acceptable form of photo I.D. to vote. An expired driver's license that's been expired up to four years is acceptable, a personal I.D. card that's expired up to four years, passport, military I.D. But if you do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain an acceptable form of I.D., then you can still vote. You will need to bring an alternate form of identification, which generally will be your voter registration certificate or perhaps an out-of-state driver's license and sign a reasonable impediment declaration. And then you will vote a regular ballot," Ingram said.
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Gender: FemaleHometown: San Antonio, Texas
Member since: Sun Oct 14, 2012, 11:45 AM
Number of posts: 29,022