Five Easy Steps: Voting in 2018 in Texas

This year has been tough for Houston. Voting should be easy. 

Lots of folks have moved since the November 2016 -- because of Harvey, or because of... well, everything. If you moved within the same county, your voter registration may need to be updated by FEBRUARY 20 in order to vote in the upcoming March 6 primary... and you can do that online! Here are the five easy steps to make sure everything will be ready to go to cast your vote.

Step 1. Find your current voter registration.

In Harris County, the tax assessor is in charge of voter registration. You can find out where the HCTA thinks you live by searching for your name here -- https://www.hctax.net/Voter/Search -- it looks like the screenshot below. (For other Texas counties, check here to see which office to contact for your voter registration info.)

Screenshot of search bar at https://www.hctax.net/Voter/Search

Step 2. Check that the address is correct... 

Once you've found your name in the voter registration database, click on the BLUE certificate number to pull up...

Screenshot from the search for "PR, L" -- with people's identifying info erased. It's already public online but hey, this stuff is sensitive and I get that. 

... on your current Voter Registration record (Step 3). 

... your very own (yellow) Voter Registration record! Ta-dah! If your address is correct, then you're done. Screenshot the names of the people who represent you so you know who to pester. I didn't show those names in the image, but I promise you -- it's there if you scroll down on your own certificate. If your address is not correct, then you'll need to update it!

Step 4. If necessary, go to the state website to update your address. 

Write down your Voter Unique ID (VUID) in the top left box of your Voter Registration Record. You'll also need your Texas driver license or voter ID card. With those in hand, head on over to the Secretary of State website --https://txapps.texas.gov/tolapp/sos/SOSACManager -- and click CONTINUE at the bottom of the page.

Screenshot from the TX Office of the Secretary of State website

Step 5. Enter the information from your documents, and click LOGIN. 

The form on the SOS website looks like this. You'll need two numbers from your photo ID, and also your VUID from the County website. And then follow the prompts after LOGIN to complete your update. 

All done! Don't you feel better? Now you can complain all you want about anybody in government, heehee. Because in a democracy, if you can vote and you don't vote... nobody has to take your opinion seriously. 

Postcard the Texas Electors: Before 12/15

Hey y'all! It's been a rough three weeks. The Postcard Avalanche campaign about Steve Bannon inspired me to take action in Texas.

There are 38 electors for the state of Texas, and I've identified about two dozen of them who live in counties that went for HRC. Since I live and vote in Texas, I want them to hear from me! I verified their mailing addresses through public records on government websites... and then I heard from other Texas voters that they might like to do the same, so I shared it all here.

These 23 electors' mailing addresses as found on public record on county assessor websites. Here's how to participate.

1(a). Decide who to contact: Read through the list here (or copy-paste http://bit.ly/2g8Z3oP). You might decide to just write to the folks in your part of Texas, or you may want to contact all of them.

1(b). Obtain postcards, and address them to some or all of the Electors identified. I found my postcards online, in drugstores (Walgreens/CVS, etc.) in tourist towns, and blank ones at craft stores.

2. In the message section, write one of these messages, or choose your own:

• Message 1: The Founding Fathers explained the purpose of the electoral college. It is not the role of the Electors to override the will of the people unless a blatantly unqualified candidate wins a majority of votes. (Federalist Paper No. 68, 1788)

• Message 2: DJT does not have the requisite qualifications to serve as President. DJT did not win a majority of votes. If DJT and his family do not COMPLETELY divest from his company, he will proudly violate the emoluments clause of the Constitution.

• Message 3: Fulfill your role as an Elector: REJECT Donald J. Trump!
• Message 4: Listen to your fellow Texas Elector, CHRISTOPHER SUPRUN! (added 12/5/16)

3(a). Sign your name and city (optional). I'm just writing my first name and city & zip code.

3(b). Feel really dang proud of yourself for speaking up (required!) :-)

4. Take a picture of your postcards that you can share on social media.

5. Affix a stamp - you can use a 35 cent postcard stamp, or a normal letter stamp

6. Drop them in the mail between DEC 1 and DEC 15

7. Tweet and Instagram and Facebook and share the heck out of your photo using the hashtags #notmypresident #postcardavalanche #TXelectors

NOTES:
First, If you are a Texas elector and you'd prefer I send my postcards to a different address that you use for your role as a public official, happy to oblige! What I've got is what was available thru ethical searching on government websites.

Second, there is also a public Facebook Event page. I haven't heard a need for a private event page.

Third: Personally, I am going to send each elector TWO or THREE postcards, with Message 1 arriving between 12/1 and 12/8, and with Message 2 arriving between 12/9 and 12/13, and the last arriving by 12/15... so they all arrive before the Electors meet in Austin on 12/19. You are welcome to do the same. But this definitely isn't a condition to take part! :)