1096 (Elections)

204. Bond Elections: State and local bond election ballots should be required to include the amount of debt currently outstanding, current debt service payments, current per capital  debt obligations, the amount of new debt being proposed, estimated debt service for the new debt, and estimated per capita burden being proposed.  The bond issue must obtain a yes vote of a minimum of 20 percent of registered voters at an election administered by the County.  No public funds are to be spent influencing a bond election. We oppose bundling of items onboard election ballots and "rolling polling" for bond and tax rate increase elections.

205. Judicial Candidate Speech:  We support a state constitutional amendment that would enable judicial candidates to express their beliefs in general terms before elections to thus inform voters of their views. 

206. Pay-to-Play Endorsement Slates:  We oppose "pay-to-play" endorsement slates and urge Republican primary voters to exercise extreme caution regarding any endorsement or statement made in these slates.

207. Early Voting: We support that early voting will be limited to 7 days, ending on the Friday before Election Day. 

208. Fair Election Procedures:  We support the right of eligible voters to cast a ballot in each election once but oppose illegal voting, illegal assistance, or ineligible persons registering.  We support vigorous enforcement of all our election laws as written and oppose any laws, lawsuits, and judicial decisions that make voter fraud very difficult to deter, detect, or prosecute. We support Voter Photo ID.  Internet voting for public office and any ballot measure should be prohibited. 

209. Ballot by Mail: We oppose any attempt to expand the criteria for ballot by mail in Texas because of the potential for voter fraud. We support increased scrutiny and security in balloting by mail. 

210. Offense Enforcement for In-Person Voting: We support raising to felony status infractions of the Texas Election Code during in-person voting, including allowing persons not in the poll book to vote a regular ballot, willfully misclassifying the reason for a provisional ballot, giving one voter multiple ballot access codes or multiple ballots, and all forms of voter assistance not compliance with Texas Election Code, especially "assistants" who force themselves on voters to influence their votes. 

211. Felon Voting:  We support the constitutional authority of state legislatures to regulate voting, including enfranchisement of convicted felons. 

212. Actual Residence:  We support changes to the appropriate sections of Texas law that would deny or cancel homestead exemptions, driver licenses and License to Carry, if the addresses on those documents DO NOT match the address on the voter's registration. 

213. Consolidated elections: All public elections, with the exception of specially called elections, should be consolidated to Primary and General Election days and locations.

214. Voter Registration: We support restoring integrity to the voter registration rolls and reducing voter fraud.  We support repealing all motor voter laws, re-registering voters every four years, requiring photo ID of all registrants, requiring proof of residency and citizenship along with the voter registration application, retaining the 30-day registration deadline, and requiring that a list of certified deaths be provided to the Secretary of State in order that the names of deceased voters be removed from the list of registered voters.  We support periodic checks on the voter rolls to ensure all currently registered voters are eligible, with prompt removal of ineligible voters.  We should give the Secretary of State enforcement authority to ensure county registrar compliance with Secretary of State directives.  We also support revising Title 19 funding to avoid incentivizing retention of ineligible voters. 

215. Ballot Harvesting:  We support stiff criminal penalties against so-called "ballot harvesters," those who collect or fill out mailed ballots on behalf of a campaign.

216. Campaigning at Poll Sites: We encourage free speech at polling sites outside of the existing boundaries.  The right to campaign, including the display of signage, with respect to current state law, at an appropriate distance (100 feet) from the polling place, shall not be infringed. 

217. Voting Rights: We support equal suffrage for all United States citizens of voting age. We oppose any identification of citizens by race, origin, or creed and oppose use of any such identification for purposes of creating voting districts.  We urge that the Voting Rights Act of 1965, codified and updated in 1973, be repealed and not reauthorized. 

218. Direct Elections of State Judges: We support our right to select our judges by direct vote. 

219. English-Only Ballots: English, and only English, shall appear on any ballot for any election in the United States of America and in the State of Texas. 

220. Closed Primary: We support protecting the integrity of the Republican Primary Election by requiring a closed primary system in Texas. 

221. Crossover Voting:  We welcome people to join the Republican Party who support limited government and traditional values. We oppose campaigns to get liberal Democrats to crossover and move the Republic party to the left in the primary.

222. Redistricting:  We support drawing districts based on eligible voters, not pure population.  We believe districts should be geographically compact when possible.  We oppose any redistricting map that is unfair to conservative candidates in the primary or the general election.  

223. County Chair Elections: We support the election of Republican County Chairs - for counties with more than 70,000 residents - by their respective County Executive Committees. 

2018 Texas Libertarian Party Platform

I.5 ELECTIONS
1.5.a. Verifiable Balloting 
LPTexas supports transparency in all publicly funded elections through verifiable ballot receipts and/or electronic tracking.  We oppose any efforts to count the votes outside of public view. 

I.5.b. Party Affiliation
LPTexas opposes mandatory affiliation, at the time of voter registration, either as an Independent or with a political party. We support voting as a voluntary expression of the right to freedom of association.  LPTexas opposes partisan labels on the ballot, as well as straight-ticket voting. 

I.5.c. Primary Screen-out
LPTexas supports the right of voters to decide who will be on the ballot. As such we support legislative efforts which would remove restrictions regarding eligibility to sign candidate and party petitions to appear on a ballot. All eligible voters should have the opportunity to vote their opinion.  Their voice should not be silenced due to their participation in a primary election or their decision to sign an alternative candidate's petition. 

I.5.d. Initiative and Referendum 
LPTexas supports the right of citizens to propose state laws or constitutional amendments through a referendum process. 

I.5.e. Electoral Recall
LPTexas supports the rights of the People to recall elected or publicly appointed officials from any public office within their jurisdiction. 

I.5.f. Election Reform 
LPTexas supports election reform that does away with a two-party duopoly and the uncontrolled corporate and PAC influence that exists today.  LPTexas believes that party primaries are not a function of the state, and rather are processes which should be self-funded.  We also believe that all races should be decided by a more representative election process that includes a choice for  None Of The Above (NOTA). We support transparency of all monies utilized by or on behalf of any campaign or elected official. 

Voting Rights and Fair Elections 

1. Recognize November's Election Day as a state and federal holiday;

2. Combine local, state, and federal elections to minimize how often voters have to to go the polls each year;

3. Develop a robust and continuous voter education and outreach programs, especially for youth, communities of color, voters with disabilities, and other underserved populations;

4. Increase access to the ballot through same-day registration, online registration, adherence to federal "Motor Voter" laws, the repeal of voter registrar deputization requirements, automatic registration for eligible Texans aged 17 years and 10 months or older, and sending vote by mail applications to Texans on their 65th birthdays;

5. Implement countywide vote centers, extended and accessible early voting periods, curbside voting, and universal,  no-excuse vote by mail, especially to protect the most vulnerable in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic; 

6. Provide funding, suppliers, and a clear plan to county election officials to ensure voter safety is prioritized; 

7. Reinstate mobile voting so counties can better ensure rural voters, students, and seniors have access to the ballot;

8. Remove the undue burdens on students by placing polling locations at all institutions of postsecondary education;

9. Allow Texans who will turn 18 by Election Day to participate in the preceding Primary Elections;

10. Ensure voters with disabilities have equal access to the ballot via accessible polling places and accommodations, curbside voting, and accessible vote by mail, with poll workers trained in the law, procedures and equipment use;

11. Repeal the highly restrictive and discriminatory Texas Photo Voter ID law; 

12. Protect voting rights by enforcing the Texas Voting Rights and the federal Voting Rights Act with restored preclearance provisions; 

13.Incorporate paper back-ups and an auditable paper trail into voting systems;

14. Provide education on, and work towards implementation of, ranked choice voting in order to further promote strong democratic ideals and provide more choice to Texans across the state;

15.End racial and political gerrymandering by creating a nonpartisan redistricting commission; and

16.Support the elimination of the Electoral College and join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, and until the compact is effective, proportionally award Texas's presidential electoral votes based on the U.S. Presidential results within the state. 

2019 Green Party of Texas State Platform