Explore Harvard's Nieman network Nieman Fellowships Nieman Lab Nieman Reports Nieman Storyboard

A blogger in Texas has questions about voting

ASK THIS | September 27, 2008

Linda Wallace wrote a letter to a Harris County official out of concern `that large numbers of citizens will go to the polls on Nov. 4th and discover they can’t vote.’ Reporters and editors need to check: Is this a problem where you live? Here’s Wallace’s letter.


Dear Mr. __________,

In January, I moved to Bellaire, and for the first time ever, I missed voting in a presidential primary. The registration process in Harris County, which I began the same month I arrived, has been an exercise in frustration. I waited seven months and filled out four voter registration cards before I got on the official voter rolls. That’s longer than it took me to sell my Philadelphia condo in a declining market; pack all my belongings, and reposition my business.

My greatest fear is that large numbers of citizens will go to the polls on Nov. 4th and discover they can’t vote because the registration form they submitted was incomplete. We must get out the word before October 6th, so these citizens can take corrective actions, and Harris County can protect the integrity of its voter registration process.

My voter registration experience (which is described in greater detail in the following attachment) raises a number of questions regarding costs, efficiency and fairness. The presidential election looms. I ask that you respond promptly so I may post this vital information on my blog, Cultural IQ.

My Questions:

  1. Why don’t the clerks who answer voter phone calls have access to the most up-to-date voter information and files? How could two different clerks, on two different occasions, tell me I was not registered when, in fact, I was? It is possible this might happen to other individuals who register between now and Oct. 6th? What steps will you take to ensure voters are not being misled?
  1. How long does it usually take to process registrations at the driver’s license centers? If citizens register on Oct. 6th at the DPS, will they be allowed to vote on November 4th? (In my case, it took about 37 days for me to receive the certificate, which voters must take to the polls.)
  1. Does your office generate monthly reports that track the average time it takes to register voters? Do you compare your processing rates and form completion rates with other cities? If so, I request a copy of that information.
  1. What processes are in place to analyze and respond to voter registration complaints and get information regarding backlogs or glitches into the hands of managers?
  1. Do you have an adequate number of clerks assisting callers and helping applicants to resolve their issues? If so, how many?
  1. Have you conducted focus groups to gauge how customer-friendly your registration forms and letters are? Are they tested or evaluated to determine if they can be easily understood, regardless of a person’s education level, culture or language?

Inclusive cities use clear, culturally competent forms that every citizen can understand. They hire culturally literate clerks who speak many languages, and use clear forms that are easily understood by diverse citizens. They continuously monitor and evaluate their performance and processes to ensure unintended barriers don’t keep any eligible voter from exercising his or her rights.

I look forward to your prompt response to my question and concerns. 

Sincerely,

Linda S Wallace

Background Information on My Efforts to Vote

My first voter registration card was mailed in late January, 2008.  I happen to be one of those folks who failed to check the box certifying that I did not have a Texas driver’s license.

Communications and publications are a big part of my consulting business. So I’m thinking now: How can we make life easier for you and your staff? Allow me to offer an idea: Have you considered moving that Texas DL check box into the next column? That way, people providing social security info would be more likely to see it and check the box. I worry about how much money Harris County taxpayers are spending because your staff continually mail follow-up letters, and then restart the registration process. A simple redesign of this card might reduce postage costs and staffing needs. And as a bonus, it speeds up the registration process.

 In February, I received a letter or card (can’t remember) from your office telling me that I had not provided sufficient information to process the voter registration. The note said if I returned the second registration card within 10 days, my registration would be based upon the date the first form was received.  I REALLY wanted to vote. When I received that letter, I panicked. I could see us trading letters back and forth for months. So I gathered everything you could possibly want or need (SSN number, copy of PA drivers license and utility bill), and mailed it to your office, along with a newly completed registration card. That envelope unfortunately disappeared – putting me at risk for identity theft. Your office says it has no record of receiving it; yet the packet was never returned.

Harris County might generate additional costs savings by returning the original registration card to the voter, and highlighting the section that was incomplete. Then you could instruct the applicant to fill out that blank, or turn in a new card (and include the missing information). This process, which is widely used by businesses and other public institutions, streamlines the process and takes the risks and guesswork out.

Sometime in May, I decided to begin the process of getting my Texas drivers license so I could attempt to register to vote again.  First, I had to apply for a copy of my Social Security card (Which the Department of Public Safety requires).  Then I had to get my eyes checked to make certain I could pass the vision test.  On July 24th, I got my drivers license and registered to vote.  My out-of-pocket expenses were approximately $150. (Two rental cars, the eye exam, and the driver’s license fee.)

 I stood there, relieved, yet worried about all my fellow citizens who don’t have the resources or transportation options available to me. I found the registration process difficult; for them, it might seem like a financial burden and a marathon.

In August, I shared my on-going voter registration saga with an attorney who volunteers her time with the League of Women Voters. She asked me if I had received my voter registration certificate. I had not, so she advised me to call the Assessor’s Office. I called on August 29th, and a clerk told me that the Office had only received one registration card from me, and that was the first one it received back in early February. I told her I had registered, a third time, when I got my driver’s license. She said the office did not currently have a record of that application.

So on Sept. 2, I rented a car and drove to the Chimney Rock satellite office. For the fourth time in seven months, I submitted my voter registration card to your office.  By this time, I was really frustrated. I contacted the Houston Chronicle. A reporter was assigned to check out my story. Rosanna Ruiz called me on Sept 3 to say she had found my registration online, and it had been valid since August 27th. I was unable to find the card online (though I did later that day), so I called your office to double-check. A clerk looked up my file and told me I still wasn’t registered.

On Sept. 5, seven months after I sent in my first registration card, my registration certificate arrived in the afternoon mail.



The NiemanWatchdog.org website is no longer being updated. Watchdog stories have a new home in Nieman Reports.