How about the risk of getting your a$$ blown away?
Posted on 10/25/2012 1:06:53 PM PDT by Servant of the Cross
Texas authorities have threatened to arrest international election observers, prompting a furious response from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
“The threat of criminal sanctions against [international] observers is unacceptable,” Janez Lenarčič, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said in a statement. “The United States, like all countries in the OSCE, has an obligation to invite ODIHR observers to observe its elections.”
Lawmakers from the group of 56 European and Central Asian nations have been observing U.S. elections since 2002, without incident. Their presence has become a flashpoint this year, however, as Republicans accuse Democrats of voter fraud while Democrats counter that GOP-inspired voter ID laws aim to disenfranchise minority voters.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place's entrance.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Gosh it’d be good to see this 1st hand.
If the observers haven’t learned how to conduct elections by now, they never will. Their presence amounts to loitering. Texas is doing a good deed by running them off.
If you read the end of that article then you will see that Texas has already Caved on this issue.
I would dearly love to shove a boot up some commie’s a$$.
I read the whole article, no where do I see where Texas caved.
How about the risk of getting your a$$ blown away?
The last two paragraphs. I read them to say that the Texas SOS is saying she has been re-assured that the observers will abide by election laws. Reading between the lines then I take it to mean that they will given permission since they have agreed not to interfere. After all, Hillary sent her a letter.
Likely he has given up on a USSC nomination. Abbott's probably too solid of a Constitutionalist for Romney's taste.
God Bless Texas
Our laws say they can’t be in or around the polling stations.
They have agreed to abide by our laws.
They know and understand the consequences if they behave otherwise.
That is not a ‘cave’.
But they can if they have permission. You have to take the next to last paragraph into the context. The SOS downplayed the threat. Did not want to appear uncooperative....As the US wishes to do the same thing in other countries. That is to monitor voting.
I could be wrong. But don’t be surprised if I am not.
Our state laws do not allow for them to be in or near polling places.
We have rules about who is allowed inside and how far away they have to stay. These people are not allowed. Period.
They have been made aware of the laws and have agreed to abide by them.
From reading the article I see no cave. I see those ‘observers’ backing down and agreeing to abide by Texas State Law.
The SOS spokesperson was playing nice nice..
Our AG and Gov were not.
OK I guess you are right. I was confusing them with poll watchers. But they are not the same thing.
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/pollwatcher2012.pdf
:)
Its a hot topic for some and reading the articles about it can be confusing.
I admit there could be some precincts in TX that might welcome them, but not mine. :)
Freeper Texans tend to do a lot of big talking in regards to their state, but I gotta tell you, this time I have to say God Bless Texas and Don’t Mess with Texas. Hook em, Gig em, whatever.
““The United States, like all countries in the OSCE, has an obligation to invite ODIHR observers to observe its elections.”
I am an election judge in Galveston County.
Here is the relevant passage of the Texas Election Code (Chapter 33):
WATCHER DEFINED. In this code, “watcher” means a person appointed under this subchapter to observe the conduct of an election on behalf of a candidate, a political party, or the proponents or opponents of a measure.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.
Sec. 33.002. APPOINTMENT BY CANDIDATE. (a) Watchers may be appointed by each candidate whose name appears on the ballot or the list of declared write-in candidates in an election for:(1) a public office other than the office of vice-president of the United States; or(2) an office of a political party.(b) In an election for an office of the state government that is filled by voters of more than one county, watchers may also be appointed by the candidate’s campaign treasurer.(c) In an election for an office of the federal government that is filled by voters of more than one county, watchers may also be appointed by the chair or treasurer of the candidate’s principal campaign committee or by a designated agent of the chair or treasurer.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 32, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1349, Sec. 15, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Sec. 33.003. APPOINTMENT BY POLITICAL PARTY. (a) The county chair of each political party that has one or more nominees on the ballot may appoint watchers.(b) If the county chair does not make an authorized appointment, any three members of the county executive committee may make the appointment.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 33, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Sec. 33.004. APPOINTMENT FOR WRITE-IN CANDIDATE. (a) A group of registered voters may appoint watchers on behalf of a write-in candidate in an election in which a declaration of write-in candidacy is not required to be filed.(b) To be eligible to participate in the appointment under this section of a watcher for a precinct polling place, a person must be a registered voter of the precinct. To be eligible to participate in the appointment under this section of a watcher for an early voting polling place, the meeting place of an early voting ballot board, or a central counting station, a person must be a registered voter of the territory served by that facility.(c) The minimum number of voters required to make an appointment under this section is the lesser of:(1) 15; or(2) five percent of the registered voters of the appropriate territory as determined from the list of registered voters to be used for the election.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 203, Sec. 2.38; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 554, Sec. 9, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1349, Sec. 16, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Sec. 33.005. APPOINTMENT FOR ELECTION ON MEASURE. (a) In an election on a measure, watchers may be appointed by the campaign treasurer or an assistant campaign treasurer of a specific-purpose political committee that supports or opposes the measure.
So, here is the deal. If you come within 100 feet of my polling place, and you are not a voter, someone assisting a voter, an election worker, an appointed poll watcher, a federal official associated with the Justice Department, or an individual whose normal job assignment is within 100 feet of the polling place (the janitor at the polling place, for example, or a teacher in a school being used as a polling place) I will ask you to leave. If you do not leave, I will call the police and have you arrested.
I do not see “UN election observer” within the list of approved individuals. So, unless one of these UN observer gets appointed as a poll watcher by a political party, a candidate for office on the ballot, or a group supporting or opposing a ballot initiative — and they adhere to laws governing poll watchers — I will ask them to leave the polling place and will call the police if they refuse to leave or attempt to reenter it.
Simple. No muss or fuss.
BUMP! HUBBA HUBBA! HOOAH! SEMPER FI!
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