Inside This Issue:

Texas SoS Announces Plan to Send 'Contingent of Inspectors' to 'Observe' Upcoming Election Processes

Texas SoS to Monitor Harris County Elections

HCDP Chair Odus Evbagharu on Thursday called out efforts by State Republican leaders to intimidate county election workers and sow chaos in the election process, after learning the Texas Secretary of State will send a “contingent of inspectors” to oversee work of local officials during the upcoming election.

“Once again, Abbott and Paxton are trying to usurp local authority and take away from the good work that was done in 2020. Ironically, their effort comes after the 2020 election was called ‘smooth and secure’ by the then-Texas secretary of state as she praised the ‘hard work and creativity shown by local county elections officials.’”

“Tuesday’s letter from the current secretary of state’s office reads like an attack on drive-through voting, which expanded voting access during the COVID pandemic. Although Harris County’s voting programs in 2020 were lauded by voting rights advocates, GOP state leaders have worked to shut down many of them.

“We are working with the Texas Democratic Party and have reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice to express our concerns about what appears to be a calculated assault by Republican leaders on Harris County elections.

Read the release
Read more about it on CNN

Republican County Commissioners’ Absence Delays Tax Rate Vote as Deadline Approaches

Commissioners Ramsey, Cagle Skip Court Again

In the latest display of Republican dinner-theatre-style politics, Commissioners Cagle and Ramsey have once again failed to attend Commissioners Court, further delaying the crucial vote over Harris County’s budget.

The Details

Commissioners Court has been trying for weeks to pass a tax rate that ensures Harris County has urgently needed investments in public safety, health care, violence prevention, flood protection, and other vital services. But Republicans on the court are causing needless delays.

To date, Commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey have refused to sit down with the other court commissioners. This delay harms Harris County residents because it prevents the Commissioners Court from fully funding much-needed county services. County Judge Lina Hidalgo has called multiple special Commissioners Court meetings to try to move the discussion forward so a tax rate can be adopted. But discussion can ONLY happen if the missing-in-action GOP commissioners show up.

Please join us in urging the Precinct 3 and Precinct 4 commissioners to start showing up to do the hard work. The work they were elected to do. Call Commissioner Ramsey at 713-274-3000; Call Commissioner Cagle at 713-755-6444.

Are You Ready? Early Voting Begins Monday, Oct. 24

Early Voting Begins Oct. 24

Do you have a plan to early vote?

Voting early is the best way to make your voice heard while avoiding the long lines and stress of Election Day. Our rights are on the ballot this year, and it is crucial that we show up!

Find an early voting location here.

Make sure you bring the correct identification.

In case you run into any issues at the polls, call 713-802-0085 and ask to speak to our Voter Protection Hotline.

Check out our voter’s guide with all the Harris County races.

Plan Ahead if You Plan to Vote by Mail

Voting By Mail Guidelines

Folks are already receiving mail ballots.

If you have your mail ballot, you can be one of the first to vote for Beto O’Rourke and our great slate of Democratic candidates.

Here are TDP’s 5 steps to voting by mail:

  • Make your candidate selections – and don’t stop at the top. Vote for every Democrat.
  • Before you seal your carrier envelope, add (a) the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number AND (b) either your Texas Driver’s License Number or your Texas Identification Card Number. Only one is required, but both are recommended.
  • Include your phone number and email address (if you have one) so the elections office can reach you if they have any questions.
  • Seal the envelope and then sign at the X.
  • Put 2 (TWO) stamps on your ballot and get it in the mail right away. It is recommended that all ballots are mailed by November 1, 2022.
  • Vote by Mail applications for eligible voters can be found here.

Everyone must apply for a mail ballot using a paper application - you can print one out from that website. Your county elections office must receive your application by Oct. 28 but it is suggested that anyone that wants to vote by mail who has not yet submitted an application do so immediately.

Eligibility to vote by mail in Texas is limited to: voters aged 65+, who have a disability, who expect to be out of their county of residence Oct. 24 - Nov. 8, who are pregnant and expect to give birth within 3 weeks of the election, or who are in jail but eligible to vote.

Phone Bank with HCDP and County Attorney Christian Menefee!

Join Christian Menefee for a Phone Bank

Join County Attorney Christian Menefee and the Harris County Democratic Party at HCDP HQ on 4619 Lyons Avenue for a GOTV Phone Bank!

Election Day is around the corner. Come call with us during the home stretch!

RSVP here.

 

Learn About HCDP's New Clubs in Action Program

HCDP's New Clubs in Action Program

There's an exciting new initiative at HCDP!

Clubs in Action is a collaborative effort of Democratic clubs and organizations across Harris County to help standardize messaging and demonstrate a united Democratic push; pool experience and duties; and benefit from economies of scale.

Learn more about CIA here.

Find a Democratic club or org to join here.

This Halloween, Scare Out the Vote with HCDP

Scare Out the Vote Block Walk

Sick of Republican TRICKS?

TREAT yourself to some peace of mind by joining HCDP at one of our Scare Out the Vote block walks on Oct. 31 from 4 - 7 PM!

Let’s give Abbott and his friends something to be scared of this Halloween.

Sign up here.

Volunteer to Help Us Inform, Educate and Motivate Voters Across Harris County

Volunteers Needed to Keep Harris County Blue

Get involved today by signing up for a block walk or phone bank near you!

See them all here.

Also... Sign up to be a poll watcher or poll monitor here.

Precinct Chair Corner

Precinct Chair Corner

Precinct Chair Badges
We are now accepting orders for badges for precinct chairs. The cost is $13. The order will be placed Oct. 28. Once the badges arrive, we will notify you so you can pick them up at the HCDP office at 4619 Lyons Ave. or at the December CEC. Place your order here: bit.ly/HCDP-Badge.

We encourage all new Precinct Chairs to order a badge.

VAN and Minivan Data Retention
We want to remind everyone about the data retention policies in VAN. Please make note of the information below:

Lists in VAN will expire in 30 days unless it is saved in a folder.
MiniVan Lists will expire in 27 days.

Precinct Chairs Not Receiving our Emails
We know there are problems with some precinct chairs not receiving our emails. Let us take the opportunity to explain the issue with some background.

We use NGPVAN software to send out all our batches of emails. If you receive this message, your address is “subscribed” in the system. If somebody is not receiving our messages, including things like the Blue Report or CEC messages, they have become “unsubscribed,” and the system will not allow us to send to the previously subscribed email address.

This can happen for various technical reasons on the internet or your mail system. How can we overcome this issue? We are working with NGPVAN to solve this problem. We will have to develop an automated system to fix it, and that will take time. The problem has been around for a while.

The short-term solution is for us to submit requests to resubscribe these emails. We can do anyone who has NOT yet notified us (Marc Malacoff), moving forward please ask them to report the issue to VAN@HarrisDemocrats.com and we will get them resubscribed.

Our team will work with NGPVAN to develop a self-service request system to resolve this issue. HCDP regrets the inconvenience that this problem has caused. Please forward this Blue Report to anyone you know who is not receiving this information.

VAN Sign-On
Don’t forget when you sign on to VAN to click the little box under the sign-on to retain your security information for 30 days. This means, if you sign on to VAN with the SAME device, you will not have to go through the two-factor authentication.

Help Support HCDP Through Our Membership Program

Work by the Harris County Democratic Party is supported through our membership program.

  • Friend of HCDP - $10 a month
  • Ally of HCDP - $15 a month
  • Activist of HCDP - $30 a month
  • Advocate of HCDP - $60 a month
  • Champion of HCDP - $125 a month

Sustaining members who donate a regular monthly or annual amount allow us to underwrite our day-to-day operations. This is how we pay our staff. This is how we support Democratic candidates. This is how we fund our voter outreach.

This is how we help elect more Democrats to office.

Team HCDP Joins the John Cornyn Office Protest for the Group's 297th Week

HCDP Joins the John Cornyn Office Protest

Anyone traveling the 5300 block of Memorial Avenue on Tuesday afternoons will notice a group of protestors in front of U.S. Senator John Cornyn’s office building. This dedicated team arrives rain or shine each week to exercise their First Amendment right to have their voices heard. Members of Cornyn Office Protest Crew know their efforts are not a magic wand for change, but they recognize the importance of sustained demonstration, and they have demonstrated – to date – for 297 weeks.

Team HCDP joined this week’s protest crew and had a BLAST with this wonderful group of Harris County activists. There is nothing like coming together on a beautiful day to fight back against hate and pursue justice and equality. Harris County is blue, and thanks to activists like these, it will remain so for years to come.

If you are interested in joining the Cornyn Office Protest Crew on an upcoming Tuesday, Neil Aquino, one of the group’s organizers, says to “just show up at 5300 Memorial Drive between 11:30 and 1. We have extra signs. We have extra flags. All are welcome."

The home stretch is here! Vote like your rights depend on it...

Team HCDP