Travis County Voter Turnout: Meh....

"He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans."
Job 5:12

Today's Statesman details the failure of Battleground Texas:

Despite talk of it being a historic election, Austinites are, so far, showing about the same interest in this year’s round of politics as they usually do. Early voting for the November election ends Friday. Twelve percent of Travis County voters had cast ballots by the end of Monday, almost exactly the same turnout as at this point in 2010, and within the range typically seen for a ballot headlined by a governor’s race, according to county election officials.

The lower-than-expected turnout is happening in this deep-blue city despite a Democratic gubernatorial challenger who has energized the party base and an overhaul of the city government intended to engage a greater swath of Austin — not to mention nearly $1.4 billion worth of bonds to build an urban rail line and expand Austin Community College’s offerings.

Yet at this pace, only a modest 40 percent of voters will cast a ballot by the time the polls close on Election Day, according to election officials.

“It’s remarkable how closely (this year) has been tracking” with other gubernatorial elections, said Bruce Elfant, who oversees voter registration as Travis County’s tax assessor-collector. “I didn’t expect that. I thought turnout would be higher.”

Despite a first-day surge in statewide early voting across the state, reports have turnout flagging and now at about 10 percent, where it was at this point four years ago. (The early vote totals, in Travis County and statewide, don’t include absentee ballots.)

Early voting is an important benchmark because, if recent history is any guide, more than half the votes in Travis County will be cast by the time early voting ends. Elfant and other politicos had expected more people at the ballot box because Travis County signed up 4,000 deputy voter registrars and registered 65,000 new voters this election cycle, both unusually high for an election year not headlined by a presidential contest.

It gets better:

But the city moved its election this year to November. This was partly to expand the pool of people participating in city elections. That change was combined with a new, district-based election system that is supposed to empower whole areas of town where residents have felt disenfranchised.

Supporters of the switch argued it could draw new voters to the governor’s race, even people with virtually no record of civic engagement.

This has apparently not happened. As City Council candidates have campaigned, though, some have encountered voters who weren’t aware of the change. Some knocked the city for not conducting a more aggressive informational campaign, possibly with TV and radio advertisements.

Heh, heh; our voters know!

Read the whole thing here.

#GAMEOVER: Travis County Voter Registration data reveals Battleground Texas' failure

"Then he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses; and he trampled her underfoot. And when he had gone in, he ate and drank. Then he said, “Go now, see to this accursed woman, and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.” So they went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. Therefore they came back and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel;"
2 Kings 9:33-36

According to the Tax Office's website, as of the close of voter registration yesterday, there are just under 650,000 registered voters in Travis County:

Compare that number to the 635,000 (and change) Travis County had in 2012:

In other words, between election 2012 and voter registration cut-off day 2014, Travis County added 14,685 registered voters.

Next, consider population growth in one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas of the county.

According to census bureau data, Travis County's population was 1.096 million in 2012 and 1.21 million in 2013; data for 2014 is not yet available.

Using reasonable extrapolation for 2014 (year to date), this suggests that Travis County has about 40,000 new residents in the past two years.

Against 14,685 new voters.

That means the number of registered voters increased by 2.3% while the population at large increased by (approximately) 3.6%.

Battleground Texas' strategy always required them to run up the scoreboard in Travis County.  This is one of their strongest counties in the state.  They haven't made a dent.

Bottom Line: Voter registration in Travis County has failed to keep pace with population growth, let alone the increase Battleground Texas would need to "change Texas turnout."

#GameOver

Travis County Election Workers fail to enforce Photo ID

[Author's Note: Travis County Tax Assessor Bruce Elfant, pictured to the viewer's left of Obama, is the official responsible for counting the votes.]

David Walls from Texas Values reports on Facebook:

Apparently following the law is optional for some polling workers in Travis county...I went to vote today in the HD 50 race (precinct 263) and was NOT asked for a photo id. I politely told the polling worker that I believe we are supposed to show an ID just as we had in the November election. I was somewhat sternly corrected that ID was not required and was also told people have to purchase a special voter ID card. When I told her that was not accurate and that people could use their drivers licenses she somewhat mockingly told me "Well, you can show me your drivers license if you would like." I proceeded to just vote and leave and then called and reported the incident to the Travis County elections office. They assured me this would be corrected and that they train all poll workers to ask for IDs.

Could get ugly; stay tuned.

Travis County Tax Assessor Helps Battleground Texas

[Author's Note: Travis County Tax Assessor Bruce Elfant is the second from the left in this picture; Austin City Manager Marc Ott is standing between Elfant and the President.]

 From the website of Lake Travis Democrats:

Welcome

Help Turn Texas Blue

Join Us to Hear

Andrew Dove, Organizing Fellow for Battleground Texas.  Battleground Texas is forming neighborhood teams of volunteers throughout the state to expand the electorate by registering voters and turning them out in elections.

Bruce Elfant, County Tax Assessor, will introduce his offices’ new web program for identifying and registering voters

In other words, a public servant who is supposed to serve all citizens equally is abusing his office to promote partisan political activity.

But, of course, he's a Travis County Democrat, so ethical standards need not apply.

The culture of corruption among Travis County Democrats continues....

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