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So, first I want to thank the four of you

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who met personally with me and other
supporters of countywide

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election day voting over the last year or so.

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Yes.

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To discuss the issue.

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The four of you listened to us.

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You responded thoughtfully.

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You voiced no security concerns about
countywide election day voting,

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and you agree that it's a problem that so many

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people are turned away from polling locations.

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These were cordial conversations.

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But it was clear that you're not willing to
buck

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the Republican Party insiders who support the
current system.

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Interestingly, the one commissioner who
refused to meet with us

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and who is not here today was the only
outspoken

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opponent of countywide Election Day voting.

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And she didn't make it out of her primary last

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spring.

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I think it's an interesting political comment.

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I also want to thank Republican Party Chair
Melinda Preston,

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who's here today, for taking the time to talk
personally

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with me about this issue a while back.

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And I really appreciate her courage in
publicly stating her

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reasons for blocking countywide Election Day
voting here, something that

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her predecessor refused to do.

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Now, when I talk to voters about this issue,
they

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often ask me why the Republican Party here
opposes countywide

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Election Day voting.

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Easy to answer.

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I just repeat the reasons Ms.

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Preston has given right here in this room.

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And I found that they actually make a very
strong

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argument for vote centers.

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When I finish that conversation, people sign
the petition, or

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they show up here.

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Her most convincing argument is that we can't
switch to

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countywide Election Day voting because once we
do, it will

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be impossible to get back to the old assigned
precinct

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system.

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And I have to say she's right about that.

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One hundred Texas counties with 87% of the
state's voters

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already have countywide Election Day voting.

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And when the Republican Party forced a few of
those

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counties, including Dallas, to revert to the
old precinct based

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system for the March 3rd primary last year,
confusion and

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chaos ensued.

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Voters were angry.

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Lawsuits got filed.

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At least one party official lost his job.

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It's no surprise.

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Voters who have it like countywide election
day voting, and

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they hate being forced back to the outdated
system we

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still use.

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But unhappily, while all this has gone on over
the

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past two and a half years, no action has been

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taken

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In that time, something like 30,000 legally
registered Denton County

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voters have been turned away from at least one
polling

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place just because they showed up at the wrong
place

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to vote.

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And it's about to get worse.

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The number of voters who suffer from this
policy, ranging

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from inconvenience and anger to downright
disenfranchisement, is about to

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jump dramatically on November 3rd, when Denton
County voters are

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likely to turn out in record numbers.

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So today I have handed over to you a petition

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signed by about 1,800 Denton County voters
calling for countywide

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Election Day voting, vote centers.

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Now these folks are from all over the county,
as

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you can see because the petition is organized
by the

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signers place of residence.

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We understand that by law, no petition can
force you

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to take action.

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But this reinforces that our current system is
not popular

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with voters, and the people of Denton County
are ready

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for a change.

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Give us that change.

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Countywide Election Day voting, voting centers
for now.

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Thank you.