REGISTER the newsletter of River Oaks Area Democratic Women -- September 2019 Voter Registration Forum: Part I: The Basics

Inside As we get closer to the 2020 election Wendy Caesar. Terry O’Rourke, Special cycle, join ROADwomen for the first of two Assistant Harris County Attorney, will round this issue forums on the importance and logistics of out the panel. voter registration. As we all know, when The first forum will be Tuesday, »» 2—ROADwomen Basics people vote, Democrats win. There are September 17, at St. Stephens Episcopal thousand of eligible, but not registered, Church, 1800 Sul Ross. The evening will »» 2—Dates to Remember voters in Harris County. It’s important to begin at 6:00 p.m. with fellowship and start now to get those people registered noshes, sponsored by Catherine Flowers, and to the polls in 2020. candidate for Houston City Council At- »» 3—2020 Election Dates ROADwomen’s Voter Registration Large Position 5. The forum will begin Forum (Part I) will feature three officials promptly at 6:30 p.m. »» 4—2020 Census with expertise in the issues of why voter registration is vital and how the process SAVE THE DATE: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15! works. ROADwoman Ann Harris Bennett ROADWOMEN VOTER REGISTRATION »» 5—First We Register is the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector FORUM and Voter Registrar. She will be joined at PART II: FINDING AND REGISTERING »» 6—Acknowledgements the forum by her Chief of Staff for Voter NEW VOTERS Registration and Information Technology,

NEXT MEETING: 6:00 P.M., Tuesday, September 17, 2019 St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1805 W. Alabama SOME NOTES ABOUT DATES TO REMEMBER ROADWOMEN WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 FOR CANDIDATES 7:00 PM: Southwest Democrats District J Democratic Candidates Forum, Bayland Park Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet St, Houston, Texas 77074 7:00 PM: Bay Area Sierra Club Meeting, Bay Area Community Center, 5002 E NASA Pkwy, Seabrook, TX THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

6:00 PM: Diverse Alief Democrats September Meeting, Alief Community Center, 11937 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, Texas 77072 6:30 PM: Area 5 Democrats Postcards to Voters, Area 5 Democrats HQ, 3800 Spencer Hwy, Ste L, Pasadena, Texas ROADwomen meets the third 77504 Thursday following the first Monday of each month at St. 6:30 PM: Area 5 Democrats Petition Potluck, Area 5 Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Democrats HQ, 3800 Spencer Hwy, Ste L, Pasadena, Texas 1805 West Alabama. There is 77504 no meeting in December. 6:30 PM: East Houston Democrats Monthly Meeting with State Rep. Harold Dutton, Milton Lusk Youth Activity Center, Fellowship begins at 6:00 p.m. 1022 Mercury Dr, Houston, TX 77029 with the program beginning at 7:00 p.m. 7:00 PM: Bay Area City of Houston At-Large Candidate Forum, Bay Area Community Center, 50021 NASA Parkway, Seabrook, Elected officials and TX candidates for office are 7:00 PM: Moms Demand Action Spring/Woodlands September always welcome. We provide Monthly Meeting, South County Community Center, 2235 time at each meeting for Lake Robbins, The Woodlands, TX 77380 candidates for office to introduce themselves. In a FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 proud tradition begun by the late Diane Mosier, candidates 11:15 AM: Rice Strikes for Climate Action, The Sallyport, Rice should announce the office University, Houston, TX 77005 they are seeking and say their name THREE times. 12:00 PM: Houston Climate Strike, Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby, Houston, TX 77002 Please remember that 4:00 PM: Progressive Women’s September Networking, The ROADwomen is not Local Bar, 22756 Westheimer Pkwy Ste 190, Katy, TX 77450 an endorsing club, but candidates are encouraged to 6:00 PM: Harris County Tejano Democrats 23rd Annual Roast bring ballot petitions for those & Toast Honoring Lillie Schechter, Sheraton Suites Houston club members who wish to Near The Galleria, 2400 West Loop S, Houston, Texas 77027 sign. FOR ADDITIONAL EVENTS, VISIT THE HARRIS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CALENDAR AT www.harrisdemocrats.org 2 Important Dates for the 2020 Election

PRIMARY ELECTION First Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail Wednesday, January 1, 2020 Last Day to Register to Vote Monday, February 3, 2020 First Day of Early Voting Tuesday, February 3, 2020 Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (Received not Friday, February 21, 2020 postmarked) Last Day of Early Voting Friday, February 28, 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION DAY Tuesday, March 3, 2020 PRIMARY RUN-OFF ELECTION Last Day to Receive Ballot by Mail Tuesday, March 3, 2020 (Election Day) at 7:00 p.m. if car- rier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, March 4, 2020 (next business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if carrier enve- lope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply) Last Day to Register to Vote for Primary Run-Off Monday, April 27, 2020 First Day of Early Voting Monday, May 18, 2020 PRIMARY RUN-OFF ELECTION DAY Tuesday, May 26, 2020 GENERAL ELECTION 2020 Last Day to Receive Ballot by Mail Tuesday, May 26, 2020 (Election Day) at 7:00 p.m. if car- rier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, May 27, 2020 (next business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if carrier enve- lope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply) Last Day to Register to Vote Monday, October 5, 2020 First Day of Early Voting Monday, October 5, 2020 Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (Received not Friday, October 23, 2020 postmarked) Last Day of Early Voting Friday, October 30, 2020 GENERAL ELECTION DAY Tuesday, November 3, 2020 Last Day to Receive Ballot by Mail Tuesday, November 3, 2020 (Election Day) at 7:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, November 4, 2020 (next business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the elec- tion on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply) 3 FIRST WE MUST REGISTER by Sharon Williams This month ROADwomen will begin a series increasing it. So until we can truly turn the state blue, of meetings devoted to preparing us for the 2020 we must deal with our antiquated voter registration election. The first two of these meetings (this month system and with crazy rumors about the ability to and next) will focus on voter registration. register online that pop up from time to time and are Voter registration is appropriately the first step seemingly designed to suppress voting. in preparing for next year’s election. There are For example, try googling online voter registration approximately 2.4 million registered voters in Harris in Texas. The first item you’ll see announces “Easy County and though there is no official count of those Online Voting in Texas.” Really? Yes, you can find the people who are eligible to vote but unregistered, there voter registration form on line at votetexas.gov. But are many thousands more who could vote were they careful the fine print. You can download the form, but registered. you must then print it out, fill it out and mail it in. Simply Because registration must happen many weeks having a truly online form would make registration before a given election, it can be hard to rally people easier...and frankly, a lot cheaper. But, you know, this to fill out the necessary is Texas. paper work when voting Last year, the Houston is not at the top of their Chronicle noted that agendas. Some people we one can do pretty much might call casual voters anything on the internet only get interested in these days from reading elections a few weeks or the complete works of even a few days before an Willliam Shakespeare to election. But then it’s too having a jug of coyote late to register. urine delivered to your There has been a bit door in 24 hours. You of movement around the can, noted the Chronicle’s country to deal with the editorial board, even registration issue. Some renew your Texas drivers states have instituted license online (proving what is called automatic that Austin does have the voter registration. Sixteen proper technology for states and the District online forms). of Columbia have some form of automatic voter Seems the reason there is no online registration registration. For the libertarians out there who are in Texas is, you guessed it, the Republicans, many getting queasy about now, no one is required to of whom believe, as the Chronicle put it, “one of register. These systems provide an opt-out for those the keys to retaining their power is making voter who believe registering to vote somehow is a threat to registration difficult.” In fact, the person leading the their liberty. (My mother, an otherwise smart woman, charge against online registration was former Harris never voted because she was convinced registering County Tax Assessor Collector and Voter Registrar to vote would get her called to jury duty.) Michael Sullivan. Leading that charge was the Twenty-one states (some states and the District of number one issue in 2016 when Democrat Ann Harris Columbia have mix of the two systems) have instituted Bennett defeated the Republican and took over voter a same-day registration system that allows a person registration in Harris County. to register and cast a ballot the same day. This reform But alas, Bennett cannot, though she would like to, is a boon to all those citizens who ignore politics 90% make online registration happen by herself. That can of the time and only get interested right before the only happen with changes at the state level. So once election again we must trudge through the woebegone Texas It comes as no surprise that Texas has not been voter registration system to get as many Texans as at the forefront in streamlining the voter registration possible registered. Then we must get them out to process. The Republican government of our great vote, but that’s a story for another day. 4 state is more interested in suppressing the vote than First things first. ROADwomen/men for Life: elizabeth f burleigh * janet caldwell * River Oaks Area Democratic Women debra danburg * roberta diddel * julie martin dokell * carolyn garcia * louise glenn * melanie gray * dana l guefen * eva hern * sissy kempner Executive Committee: * elizabeth kidd * naomi kraus* jeri kuhleman * mary laminack * dodi Kat Castro-Clemons, Gayle Fallon, mckellar * roshanak mohammadifar * susan morrison * phyllis segal * Adoneca Fortier, Shelby Hansen, alice w smith * kathleen s stone * anne sung * judith wible * barbara Abbie Kamin, Carli Mosier, Muffie Moroney winston * shirley wright ROADcouples for Life: tom jones & pam higgins * nancy mcgregor & neal manne * audrey & marvin peterson * lou & buddy rosenfeld * bobbie bayless & dalia stokes Sustaining The ROADwomen Register: ROADwomen/men: alice alvarado * shannon baldwin * ann harris Editor: Sharon Williams bennett * ingrid bond * beverlly bontrager * michelle brockway * linda k Layout and Design: Sharon Williams brown * tina bryan * miquel correll * martha cottingham * linda driskell * linda dunson * adoneca fornier * betty freedman * sylvia garcia * The Register welcomes your contributions. catherine gillespie * lori hathaway * jacqui hecht * sheri henriksen * Please submit any material by the 10th of the eartha jean johnson * kyle johnston * virginia joiner * nancy mcdonald month to [email protected]. jordan * mary j mckerall * rebecca mcnamee * kimberley mickelson * susan miles * carole moffatt * muffie moroney * paula newton * kris The ROADwomen Register ougrah * parvin richardson * victoris rittinger * vincent ryan * lauren schultz * carey shuart * anna stool * dona szak * cherie taylor * mary is the official publication of ROADwomen. ross taylor * lavon thomas *rebecca udden * mary vasen Sustaining All rights reserved 2019. ROADcouples: * debora birnbaum * amy grinstein * leif & elsie Pol.Ad. Paid by River Oaks Area Democratic Women PAC. hatlen * gene creely & adra hooks * sherry & mike matula * sherry & P.O. Box 22678, Houston, TX 77227 gerald merfish * ginni mithoff * kathryn peek * gloria & joe prysant * Leif Hatlen, Treasurer john & nancy preston * paul simon & sandra collard * patricia wycliff * georgiana zustovich

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