US judge blocks Texas law that would end straight-ticket voting

Austin Statesman ^ | 09/25/2020 | Chuck Lindell

[newzjunkey]

I've never been a fan of straight ticket voting. That was a thing my mother was familiar with from the East Coast but in CA it wasn't a thing. For me, each race deserves to be considered independently and you may not want to cast a vote for a particular person even if GOP.

"Straight ticket" voting makes it that much easier on voter fraud.

[Repeal The 17th]

Pennsylvania - abolished STV in 2019 (SB 421)
but the law did not impact the November 2019 election.
In 2020 there will not be an STV option.
-
https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/straight-ticket-voting.aspx

[SpeedyInTexas]

“it’s so easy and fast”. Its too easy for DEMs also.

I grew up in Chicago. The DEM precinct leader would just say “Pull 29” “Pull 21” whatever the lever for a straight DEM ticket was. They’d wear buttons saying 29 or 21.

The REP legislature changed the law for a reason. It will benefit REP candidates.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Can this be appealed, and is her appeals circuit one that hasn’t been Obozo-packed?

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

The Judge undid the REP law ending straight party ticket voting because she said it would take too long for voters to be in the voting booth with a pandemic underway.

Oh, good grief, that could be every few years when a new flu pandemic rears its ugly head. She's an idiot.

[LeonardFMason]

WOW!

This will be fist election without STV!

Thanks for info.

[SpeedyInTexas]

The Judge’s decision just hit tonight. So no response from REP officials, but I expect an appeal. Voting starts soon in Texas and now the machines have to be reprogrammed because of the judge.

I think the decision gets reversed.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Dems can actually win a fair fight. But to them, if they win fairly, it seems to still be a loss of sorts for them.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I guess you don’t have an Obozo-packed appeals circuit like my state — Maryland — does (4th Circuit).

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Well since the only 2 states I have ever voted in are Michigan and Alabama I assumed straight party voting options was the norm.

[kiryandil]

Here's the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit [As of October 1, 2019]:

Judges	17
Circuit Justice	Samuel Alito
Chief Judge	Priscilla Owen

Next Chief Judge: ??? 2026?
==================
Age	Title	        Judge	                Duty station	Born	Term of service	                Appointed by
65	Chief Judge	Priscilla Owen	     *	Austin, TX	1954	2005–present   &2019–present	G.W. Bush
70	Circuit Judge	Edith Jones	     #	Houston, TX	1949	1985–present   &2006–2012	Reagan
73	Circuit Judge	Jerry Edwin Smith    #	Houston, TX	1946	1987–present	—	—	Reagan
70	Circuit Judge	Carl E. Stewart	        Shreveport, LA	1950	1994–present   &2012–2019	Clinton
83	Circuit Judge	James L. Dennis	        New Orleans, LA	1936	1995–present	—	—	Clinton
53	Circuit Judge	Jennifer Walker Elrod #	Houston, TX	1966	2007–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
70	Circuit Judge	Leslie H. Southwick  #	Jackson, MS	1950	2007–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
56	Circuit Judge	Catharina Haynes	Dallas, TX	1963	2008–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
66	Circuit Judge	James E. Graves Jr.	Jackson, MS	1953	2011–present	—	—	Obama
58	Circuit Judge	Stephen A. Higginson	New Orleans, LA	1961	2011–present	—	—	Obama
47	Circuit Judge	Gregg Costa	     #	Houston, TX	1972	2014–present	—	—	Obama
53	Circuit Judge	Don Willett	     *	Austin, TX	1966	2018–present	—	—	Trump
47	Circuit Judge	James C. Ho	     *	Dallas, TX	1973	2018–present	—	—	Trump
48	Circuit Judge	Kyle Duncan	     *	Baton Rouge, LA	1972	2018–present	—	—	Trump
60	Circuit Judge	Kurt D. Engelhardt   *	New Orleans, LA	1960	2018–present	—	—	Trump
42	Circuit Judge	Andy Oldham	     *	Austin, TX	1978	2018–present	—	—	Trump
  	Circuit Judge	vacant	                —	—	—	—	—	—

======================                        
82	Senior Circuit 	Carolyn Dineen King	Houston, TX	1938	1979–2013	2013–present	Carter  &1999–2006
98	Senior Circuit 	Thomas Morrow Reavley	Houston, TX	1921	1979–1990	1990–present	Carter
82	Senior Circuit 	E. Grady Jolly	     #  Jackson, MS	1937	1982–2017	2017–present	Reagan
81	Senior Circuit 	Patrick Higginbotham	Austin, TX	1938	1982–2006	2006–present	Reagan
83	Senior Circuit 	W. Eugene Davis	        New Orleans, LA	1936	1983–2016	2016–present	Reagan
86	Senior Circuit 	John Malcolm Duhé Jr.	inactive	1933	1988–1999	1999–present	Reagan
75	Senior Circuit 	Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale	Jackson, MS	1944	1990–2009	2009–present	G.H.W. Bush
85	Senior Circuit 	Jacques L. Wiener Jr.	New Orleans, LA	1934	1990–2010	2010–present	G.H.W. Bush
73	Senior Circuit 	Fortunato Benavides	Austin, TX	1947	1994–2012	2012–present	Clinton
72	Senior Circuit 	Edith Brown Clement  *	New Orleans, LA	1948	2001–2018	2018–present	G.W. Bush

& denotes Chief Judge of the Court
* denotes Federalist Society member
# denotes Federalist Society associate

[kiryandil]

vacancy has been filled:

50	Circuit Judge	Cory T. Wilson	Jackson, MS	1970	2020–present	—	—	Trump

[SpeedyInTexas]

Nov 2018: “Straight-ticket voting ends in 2020. For some down-ballot Republicans, that wasn’t soon enough.”

https://www.texastribune.org/2018/11/16/straight-ticket-voting-ed-emmett-harris-county-texas/

[kiryandil]

Need an update for my files:

Here's the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit [As of July 3, 2020]:

Judges	17
Circuit Justice	Samuel Alito
Chief Judge	Priscilla Owen

Next Chief Judge: ??? 2026?
==================
Age	Title	        Judge	                Duty station	Born	Term of service	                Appointed by
65	Chief Judge	Priscilla Owen	     *	Austin, TX	1954	2005–present   &2019–present	G.W. Bush
70	Circuit Judge	Edith Jones	     #	Houston, TX	1949	1985–present   &2006–2012	Reagan
73	Circuit Judge	Jerry Edwin Smith    #	Houston, TX	1946	1987–present	—	—	Reagan
70	Circuit Judge	Carl E. Stewart	        Shreveport, LA	1950	1994–present   &2012–2019	Clinton
83	Circuit Judge	James L. Dennis	        New Orleans, LA	1936	1995–present	—	—	Clinton
53	Circuit Judge	Jennifer Walker Elrod #	Houston, TX	1966	2007–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
70	Circuit Judge	Leslie H. Southwick  #	Jackson, MS	1950	2007–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
56	Circuit Judge	Catharina Haynes	Dallas, TX	1963	2008–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
66	Circuit Judge	James E. Graves Jr.	Jackson, MS	1953	2011–present	—	—	Obama
58	Circuit Judge	Stephen A. Higginson	New Orleans, LA	1961	2011–present	—	—	Obama
47	Circuit Judge	Gregg Costa	     #	Houston, TX	1972	2014–present	—	—	Obama
53	Circuit Judge	Don Willett	     *	Austin, TX	1966	2018–present	—	—	Trump
47	Circuit Judge	James C. Ho	     *	Dallas, TX	1973	2018–present	—	—	Trump
48	Circuit Judge	Kyle Duncan	     *	Baton Rouge, LA	1972	2018–present	—	—	Trump
60	Circuit Judge	Kurt D. Engelhardt   *	New Orleans, LA	1960	2018–present	—	—	Trump
42	Circuit Judge	Andy Oldham	     *	Austin, TX	1978	2018–present	—	—	Trump
50	Circuit Judge	Cory T. Wilson	     *  Jackson, MS	1970	2020–present	—	—	Trump

======================                        
82	Senior Circuit 	Carolyn Dineen King	Houston, TX	1938	1979–2013	2013–present	Carter  &1999–2006
98	Senior Circuit 	Thomas Morrow Reavley	Houston, TX	1921	1979–1990	1990–present	Carter
82	Senior Circuit 	E. Grady Jolly	     #  Jackson, MS	1937	1982–2017	2017–present	Reagan
81	Senior Circuit 	Patrick Higginbotham	Austin, TX	1938	1982–2006	2006–present	Reagan
83	Senior Circuit 	W. Eugene Davis	        New Orleans, LA	1936	1983–2016	2016–present	Reagan
86	Senior Circuit 	John Malcolm Duhé Jr.	inactive	1933	1988–1999	1999–present	Reagan
75	Senior Circuit 	Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale	Jackson, MS	1944	1990–2009	2009–present	G.H.W. Bush
85	Senior Circuit 	Jacques L. Wiener Jr.	New Orleans, LA	1934	1990–2010	2010–present	G.H.W. Bush
73	Senior Circuit 	Fortunato Benavides	Austin, TX	1947	1994–2012	2012–present	Clinton
72	Senior Circuit 	Edith Brown Clement  *	New Orleans, LA	1948	2001–2018	2018–present	G.W. Bush

& denotes Chief Judge of the Court
* denotes Federalist Society member
# denotes Federalist Society associate

[laconic]

Since this was decided by a federal district judge, any appeal would go to the Circuit Court of Appeals which has 17 judges - 6 appt. by Trump, 2 by Reagan, 4 by the Bushes and 5 by Clinton/Obama.

[Spktyr]

Dumping straight ticket means more Republicans get elected down ticket as a significant percentage of Democrats only vote for the major races. With straight ticket, they automatically vote Democrat for all races.

[SanchoP]

-— and you expect what? She’s a meskin born in Nuevo Laredo. One of Barry’s evil get.

[BlueLancer]

I never vote with “straight ticket”, even when I do.

[Revel]

Who needs a legislature. The judges think they control it all. If judges can do this then the legislature can create a law putting such judges in jail.

[SanchoP]

Probably worked her way through law school at the family business in “La Zona Roja”.