I suspect the Texas Secretary of State, Director of Elections, Keith Ingram, may be called as a witness in this case. He would be called because the federal HAVA law passed after the Florida fiasco, gave Secretary of States the responsibility for creating a state voter list designed to help counties keep their voter list current. From our Secretary of State website:
“The Elections Division administers and maintains the Texas Election Administration Management (TEAM) System, which is an online, HAVA compliant, voter registration application designed for county officials to maintain accurate and efficient voter registration rolls. Currently, over 200 counties utilize the TEAM application to maintain their daily voter registration requirements. The remaining counties comply with current state and HAVA requirements by updating the state database on a daily basis through a file transfer.”
Here is the HAVA Requirement of a Computerized Statewide Voter Registration System and the Texas State Plan to meet those requirements:
HAVA: (The state shall) “Perform list maintenance to ensure only qualified voters appear on the list, including felons and deaths of registrants.”
Secretary of State response to this requirement:
“State meets this requirement. State receives information from other state agencies regarding deaths and felons and provides this information to county voter registrars on a weekly basis.”
HAVA: (The state shall) “Ensure that only voters who are not registered or who are not eligible are removed from the computerized list.”
Secretary of State response to this requirement:
“State meets this requirement. State law prescribes narrow guidelines regarding canceling a voter's registration. Only when a positive name and identification number match can a voter be canceled. THE LOCAL COUNTY VOTER REGISTRAR, NOT THE STATE, CANCELS VOTERS.” (caps mine)
So, Texas has a system to keep voter lists accurate. They send updated information of deaths and felons to county registrars EVERY WEEK. However, it is ONLY the voter registrar who can actually take a name off, hit “Delete” to remove that name. It appears CINDY MARTINEZ-RIVERA, didn't do that so her list is screwed.
I have lived in smaller counties and dealt politically with courthouse elected officials and they are sometimes elected due to their position in the county, a member of a prominent family who has lived in that county for generations type thing, not their brainpower. I've seen that over and over. So, this Martinez-Rivera person may be one of those and I'd bet a nickel this is the case. (can't bet more than a nickel because income tax is due 16 days from now - please send a care package).
It distresses me that people think every state is crooked and the state doesn't care about fair elections. That is just not the case about Texas and I'm sure others are like that, too. This Zavala County official is not the whole state of Texas. Plus, voters of a county should put smart people in county offices, not vote for someone just because he/she is the daughter/son of a prominent person in that county.
I have never come across a conservative county office holder responsible for elections, who was crooked and I was in numerous counties giving election seminars.
Another thing that helps Texas keep their roles some cleaner is the mailing
of a new voter registration card every two years to the voter. It isn’t supposed
to be forwarded if that voter doesn’t live at the mailing address. Thus if that
registration is returned then that name is supposed to be removed from the roles.
I think I’m stating that correctly. If not please correct the procedure. Thanks.