A group of Denton election workers that run the advocacy group Voting Centers Now! announced on June 17 they have started a petition for countywide Election Day voting. On Tuesday, the county’s GOP Chair argued against it.
The petition is online at change.org/VotingCentersNow and hopes to allow voters to show the County Commission they want to “end Election Day confusion.”
According to VCN, 10-15% of the county’s Election Day voters are told they can’t vote at the first polling place they visit.
“It’s time to stop putting the votes of 10-15% of legally-registered Election Day voters at risk because of confusion about where to vote in Denton County,” said Jane Scholz, a VCN member.
At commissioner’s court on Tuesday, Denton County’s Republican Party Chair Melinda Preston said countywide voting centers open the door to corruption and could compromise voter privacy, in some cases.
“It’s possible for others to find out how you voted,” she said. “They often lead to long lines, confusion and take away the opportunity to connect with your neighbors on Election Day.”
The group believes countywide voting would solve the problem of people voting at the wrong polling place, making it more convenient for voters
“VCN research has shown there’s no valid reason for this rule that forces voters to cast ballots only in their home precinct on Election Day,” said Scholz in a press release. “A total of 99 Texas counties with 85% of the state’s voters already have countywide voting on Election Day.”
Preston said voting shouldn’t always be the easiest thing.
“The argument that voting centers are more convenient misses the bigger picture,” she said. “Convenience is not always good. Our elections should be about integrity, transparency and community, not just efficiency.”
In her speech at commissioner’s court, Preston added that voting centers decrease turnout at precinct conventions because it would force the Republican Party to hold the precinct convention on a different day than Election Day.
“I’ve heard some people suggest keeping precinct voting for primary election day only,” she said. “That doesn’t make sense. It will only create more confusion for voters and consistency is key to a smooth and accessible election process.”
During Early Voting in Denton County, voters can vote at any county polling location.
Other Denton County residents spoke at commissioner’s court on Tuesday, as well, which can be viewed in full here.
Denton voters can sign up to speak at a county commission meeting on the issue at http://bit.ly/3HL7NQJ.
For more information, visit VCN’s website at www.votingcentersnow.org or follow VotingCentersNow on Facebook.
