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TEXAS REDISTRICTING

Updates and News about the 2011 Redistricting Cycle in the Lone Star State. This website's goal is to try to make sure the redistricting process is as transparent and accessible as possible to the public. Hopefully, it will be of some use to a broad range of interested parties, both lawyers and non-lawyers. Have questions, comments, suggestions, additional content, or a redistricting joke (or two)? Feel free to contact me: Michael Li michael.li@mlilaw.com 214.821.8473. You also can follow me on Twitter: @mcpli

DOJ says San Antonio court should not shorten time for military ballots to go out

In an advisory filed this afternoon, the Justice Department told the San Antonio court that it opposed any effort to shorten requirements in the MOVE Act that require that mail ballots for military personnel be sent out 45 days in advance of a primary.

At Friday’s hearing, lawyers for the State of Texas said that the period could be shortened to 25 days and said that use of electronic ballots might ease concerns.

At least some election officials also agreed with the DOJ in testimony Friday, explaining that the electronic ballots in question were emailed to voters and that they did not have email addresses for all military personnel requesting mail ballots. They also explained that the ballots still needed to be printed out and returned by mail.

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UPDATE:

Last fall at least, Senator John Cornyn was on the record as accusing the DOJ of not doing enough to enforce the MOVE Act, telling Attorney General Eric Holder, “Our service members and their families deserve all of the protections guaranteed by the MOVE Act, and it is your responsibility to enforce these laws.” It’s not clear what Senator Cornyn’s position is on current efforts to shorten MOVE Act times for mailing military ballots.