Like many large metropolitan areas, Harris County, Texas (Houston Metro) relies on volunteer Deputy Registrars to help collect and process voter applications. And, like many of the other metropolitan areas that have relied on the honesty and integrity of its volunteer squads, Houston appears to have been victimized by the ACORN virus:
August 24, 2010 – Harris County Voter Registrar Leo Vasquez revealed findings of possible voter registration problems perpetrated by organizations targeting the Houston area.
“The integrity of the Voter Roll of Harris County, Texas, appears to be under an organized and systematic attack by the group operating under the name ‘Houston Votes,’” explained Vasquez. “Houston Votes is the voter registration machine of the ‘Texans Together Education Fund.’ Houston Votes and Texans Together have effectively emerged as our area’s new ‘ACORN’ organization.”
Vasquez presented samples of voter applications being submitted by the Houston Votes/Texans Together organization showing a pattern of falsification of government documents, suborning of perjury and a deliberate effort to over-burden the Harris County voter registration processing system with thousands of duplicate and incomplete voter registration applications.
The Harris County Tax Office will be referring problems, along with associated documentation, to the Texas Secretary of State and the Harris County District Attorney’s office for further investigation.
Mr. Vasquez, in his press conference, described some of the problems his office has encountered. These included one deputy registrar turning in multiple applications for the same person, but the applicant signatures do not match. Also, multiple deputies turning in apps on the same person, again with applicant signatures that don’t match. But that’s not all, folks. Under the same deputy registrar number, multiple applications were turned in with different signatures on the deputy signature line, and there were way many apps for one deputy to have possibly done themselves. Incomplete applications included no address or an incomplete address (example, Houston, TX or Hwy 249, Houston TX).
Not a citizen of the US? No problem. Multiple applications submitted with “Non-citizen box” checked.
And, Vasquez documented numerous citizen complaints, including reports that people are being pressured to re-register for all sorts of bogus reasons, like the Tax Office computer system being down, non-citizens of Texas or the US being told that even temporary residents need to register, etc.
Here are some of the eye-popping statistics released by Vasquez’ office:
- Houston Votes has turned in 25,640 applications
- Houston Votes applications have generated 7,193 "new" voter records
- Houston Votes applications have generated 3,531 applications which were rejected
by the SOS for failure to match TDL/SSN - Houston Votes has submitted 1,597 multiple applications (two or more
applications for same person) - Houston Votes has submitted 1,014 applications for pre-existing voters
- Houston Votes applications have generated 1,030 Notices of Incomplete
- Houston Votes has submitted 25 non-citizen applications
- Houston Votes has submitted 325 too young applications
- Houston Votes applications have generated 129 felon rejection of applications
(although not the responsibility of volunteer deputy to determine) - Houston Votes has submitted 1,133 applications where the No ID box was checked
- Houston Votes has presented the Tax Office with 1,323 applications later than the
5 day statutory deadline
The legitimate Harris County citizens have also been calling the Registrar’s office. Here are a few of the complaints recorded, so far:
Mrs. Margaret N :
On August 18, 2010, Mrs. Margaret N. called inquiring why she had received a request for additional information for "Anne N. one of her nicknames. She did not fill out an application recently. An application with a Deputy signature from Wyatt Anthony Charles was filed with the Tax Office. The application was dated August 3, 2010 and contained false information that elicited a request letter from the Tax Office.Ms. AG:
Concerned about a receipt from a Voter application posted on her doorstep, Ms. AG contacted the Tax Office on August 18, 2010. She did not understand the purpose of the receipt. As it turns out she did not fill out an application recently. The volunteer deputy's number was that of Houston Votes Deputy, Franiqueka Fortune. Ms. AG became very concerned about this issue.Ms. M:
Ms. M contacted our office on August 3,2010, very concerned. She was approached by a man wearing a lanyard with the name Joseph Garrett on it. The man insisted that she register even though she was already registered. He told her that he needed the application or he would not get paid. He also told her that she had to fill out the application because her registration expires at the end of the year and it would not get
renewed unless she took action. He also stated that the Tax Office switching from postcard certificates to plastic certificates and unless she filled out a new card she would not get her plastic certificate effective for 2011. Ms. M was uncomfortable with giving him any information since she knows her registration certificate will get renewed at the beginning of next year. She asked for identification but the deputy didn't have any other than the lanyard.
Mr. Vasquez and the Voter Registrar’s office provided specifics, along with photocopies of questionable applications.
Six Applications, Five different deputies, all on the same day for Carmella Bellazer. Five different applications, five different deputies, all for one applicant, Anthony Roy. Shakay Swazer was deputized on 8/3/10, and provided different addresses on five different applications. Three different applications, turned in by three different deputies, all with questionable signatures, different addresses and a change to the date of birth for one Rayon Jurrell. Three different applications, three different addresses, and two applications turned in on the same day for one Jason Roberts. Four different applications, four different deputies, all turned in over a two week period for one applicant, Derrick Chatman. Two different applications, two different deputies and two different signatures for one Ronnishia Johnson. Two different applications, two different deputies, turned in over a one week period, with different signatures for one Tawana Pounds. Two different applications on the same day, but with different signatures for one Cedric Bernard. Two applications submitted in two days, by the same deputy for the same applicant, one Devona Robinson. Three applications, two from the same deputy, for one applicant--Kizzy DeRouen.
Minor issues with incomplete applications, misspelled names, or incorrect addresses are typical in large, metro areas like Houston. These are not just annoying little irregularities. Mr. Vasquez’ office has direct evidence of voter fraud. Multiple crimes have been committed here, including fraud, falsification of government documents, impersonating a lawful officer of the county, and who knows what else.
This is ACORN’s stock in trade, folks. It hasn’t gone away, and it’s as ugly as it’s ever been.
h/t Texas Watchdog
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