Voting in Texas

My friend who had to move to TX for work posted about what it took to register to vote.

So I wanted to register vote in Texas. How hard could it be?

Oh, I have to have a Texas id. Fine, I need to get a drivers license here anyway. To get it, all I need is:

- My original social security card (thank god I found it after a long search!)

- My passport

- My LA drivers license

- Proof of residency. But very specific proof. If you don’t have bills in your name, or your name on a house deed or your name on a lease, you’re screwed.

- And since I have a car, proof of car insurance

- Proof of car registration…

So I need to register the car in Texas. How hard could it be?

- Take car in for TX safety inspection even though I had my LA safety inspection done two months before moving 

- A trip to the registration office (which my husband kindly did for me but then they registered it in his name so I couldn’t use it as one of my two proofs of residency)

Then, it’s simply a matter of taking a day off work to travel to a DPS and waiting forever for my turn (even after using the oh-so-convenient “sign up at 7am for a randomly assigned same day appt” system)...

...only to be told that my house purchase closing documents weren’t good enough as proof of residency and my husband would need to come too since the bills are in his name. Or get a notarized affidavit that I live here which would require my marriage certificate and my husbands proof of residency. [For the record, this did not go over well with me. I insisted that the closing documents on buying a house with my signature in 300 places was very valid. She kindly took it to her manager which agreed after a good 20 minutes of review.]

They’re just making this toooooo easy. No wonder people believe fraudulent voting is so rampant!

I can’t imagine how you’re supposed to do this if you’re working full time or a transient renter or rely on public transport. This was a huge cash and time outlay, making the process inaccessible to many. If I didn't have my husband helping and a job where I can take time off, it wouldn't be possible. There must be a better way. All this information is recorded electronically already.