The blame game...

[u/Veshaad]

[u/JustMeandI1976]

Texans, how are you all accepting this?

[u/GanjasTriforce → u/JustMeandI1976]

A few people from Texas on this website get pissy when I flame them for rolling over and accepting getting abused by their elected officials.

But... Why be mad at me? I don't live in Texas, you do, and therefore you had the power to vote for the people making your life miserable, no?

[u/Tomatillo_Thick → u/GanjasTriforce]

I just voted today in Texas blue down the line! I asked the poll worker and she said it’s been packed since yesterday! Even slightly crazier is that the polls close at 5 PM in my county this week. Please go vote!

[u/ShredCadmium → u/Tomatillo_Thick]

I'm not American, so I'm curious why they close voting at 5pm?

Is there a logistics reason or anything? Or is it just a malicious decision to prevent people from being able to vote?

[u/Numerous_Ad_6276 → u/ShredCadmium]

Before the actual election day? Depending on the polling place, could simply be business hours for municipal offices. However, yes, the Republican Party has, over the last 45 years or so campaigned to make it increasingly difficult to vote. And the Voting Rights Act has been gutted, twice, by the John Roberts Supreme Court. The Act was our attempt to mitigate for 100 years of Jim Crow politics in the US South after the Civil War. Needless to say, the Federal government, post War, did not come down hard enough on the South and its degenerate slave-owning culture and the white hierarchy which governed it.

And here we are.

[u/ryhaltswhiskey → u/Numerous_Ad_6276]

by the John Roberts Supreme Court

And, in case anyone missed it, news broke today that he took $20 million worth of business for his law firm from entities that had cases going in the Supreme Court.

So all three branches of government have some big corruption issues, but the executive branch and the judicial are really flagrant about it.

[u/ShredCadmium → u/Numerous_Ad_6276]

Oh I see. I wasn't understanding the early voting. Thank you.

And yes I've definitely come across some reports and shows (things like the John Oliver show I think) covering the republicans making voting harder generally over the past few years.

[u/Higginbotham432 → u/ShredCadmium]

Here is a non politicaly biased answer for you.
This is for Howard County Texas with 16,618 registered voters

Early Voting (Early voting is at the Election Center only)
October 19 – 23, Monday-Friday - 8am to 5pm (regular office hours at our election center)
October 24, Saturday - 7am to 7pm
October 25, Sunday - 9am to 3pm
October 26 – 30, Monday-Friday - 8am to 5pm

Election Day (4 locations)
November 3, Tuesday - 7am to 7pm

Curbside voting assistance is avablible at all locations
We also have Assistance and Interperters:
Voters needing help because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may receive voting assistance.
You may choose an assistant other than your employer, your employer's agent, or an officer or agent of your union. You may also request assistance from election workers.
Your assistant must follow your choices, protect the privacy of your vote, and complete the required assistance procedures.
If you need an interpreter for spoken or sign language, tell an election worker. You may select an interpreter subject to the same employer and union restrictions described above.

Qualifications to vote by mail

• Will be age 65 or older on Election Day;
• Have a sickness or physical condition that prevents you from voting in person without likely needing personal assistance or risking your health;
• Expect to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day;
• Will be outside your county of registration during early voting and on Election Day;
• Are civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code; or
• Are in jail but remain eligible to vote.

https://www.co.howard.tx.us/1240/Election-Information

We do have Voter ID requirements. There are 7 acceptable forms of ID.

• Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
• Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
• Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
• United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
• United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
• United States Passport (book or card)

If you dont have an acceptable form of photo ID and cannot reasonably obtain one you can fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration anong with 1 of 6 supporting ID documents.

• copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate;
• copy of or original current utility bill;
• copy of or original bank statement;
• copy of or original government check;
• copy of or original paycheck; or
• copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).

[u/tristand666 → u/ShredCadmium]

They also are open for 2 weeks to vote, so despite all the news about closing polling places, people have lots of time to figure out how to get to one.