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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTexas: 95-year-old World War II Veteran says his mail-in ballot application has been denied twice
HOUSTON A Harris County man fears new voting laws may prevent him from voting by absentee ballot for the first time in his lifetime.
Kenneth Thompson, 95, has been checking his mail daily in hopes his mail-in ballot is among the pile.
Thompson has been voting since he was 21-years-old, and he even recalls paying a $0.25 poll tax in the 1950?s.
Ive been voting many, many years and Ive never missed a vote, Thompson said.
Thompson considers voting a duty. He served in the U.S. Army in WWII during the European Theater for the right to vote and other freedoms.
Decades later, the vet fears Texas new election law, SB1, could prevent him from voting for the first time in his life.
Per law, Thompson must either provide part of his social security number or his drivers license number that matches his registration record with the county or state.
He registered to vote in the 1940?s and they didnt require that, said Thompsons daughter, Delinda Holland.
Since Holland cant meet the new requirement, his mail-in ballot application was denied twice. The veteran said Harris County election officials never notified him and he had to call to find out both times.
Theres gonna be a lot of people not gonna vote, Thompson said. If I hadnt have called in about mine, people wouldnt have known.
Oh but it's easy to vote says the RWNJs.
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2022/01/26/ive-never-missed-a-vote-95-year-old-world-war-ii-veteran-says-his-mail-in-ballot-application-has-been-denied-twice-due-to-new-requirements/
Historic NY
(37,460 posts)Last edited Fri Jan 28, 2022, 12:34 AM - Edit history (1)
when he was in the service. They can check that.
Brother Buzz
(36,498 posts)In 1973 a devastating fire in the National Personnel Records Center destroyed about 17 million military personnel files. A loss with long-lasting repercussions, it affects our understanding and knowledge of many individual WWII stories.
80 percent of Army personnel records for soldiers discharged between 1 Nov 1912 to 1 Jan 1960 and 75 percent of the Air Force records of Airmen discharged between 25 Sep 1947 to 1 Jan 1964 (with surnames beginning with Hubbard and running through the end of the alphabet) has never been found.
https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/22133/the-nprc-records-fire-of-1973/
Historic NY
(37,460 posts)I have a WWII burial with no marker, family didn't have the records at the time 5 yrs after the war he was dead. They told them no marker, they waited now they will have to pay with the cockamamie rules the VA has.
I am surprised he doesn't have his DD214, here in NY they filed them with the local town or country clerk's office at the time it was used to record service and lower tax on property.
[link:https://aad.archives.gov/aad/fielded-search.jsp?dt=893&tf=F|]
femmedem
(8,210 posts)If I'm reading this correctly, this law makes it impossible for people who registered to vote in the 1940s to meet the requirements.
czarjak
(11,326 posts)LoisB
(7,250 posts)vote back then). This is ridiculous.
Deuxcents
(16,441 posts)His state. Federal reps/senators need to do their responsibilities to him n others like him to clear this up. This is just wrong..maybe VFWs , lawyers..theres plenty of resources..why is this an issue for him or others like him? Texas, or not.
Jim__
(14,094 posts)... changed over the last 70 years. These people shouldn't be allowed to make change from a cash register never mind trying to write laws.
Deuxcents
(16,441 posts)But now it needs to be taken up by those who can help..local, state federal.. this wrong. Theres no one in his whole state who can help ? I just cannot..well..I just dont wanna believe that.
SWBTATTReg
(22,201 posts)1970s (this was before they required SSNs for jobs then). I told her that we didn't need them back then. She thought that she had a 'gotcha' item with me and walked back her objection rather quickly when I told her that SSNs weren't always out there for all to have.
There are idiots still out there, that don't realize that crap like the SSNs, etc. weren't around forever. So, everybody needs to be aware of this 'gotcha' item in the next wave of elections coming up. Make sure that you read all requirements and make sure that you get all needed documentation upfront, in time for voting.
Hekate
(91,005 posts)They thought they were just going to disenfranchise POCs and old people and college students and that nobody would care. Hes an old person, but hes white and a veteran of WWII to boot.
Please, somebody make him the poster child for bigly unintended consequences.
DFW
(54,502 posts)I got it straightened out with a friendly election office worker, but the first time, the reason stated for denial was that my online application wasn't signed in ink. I told her that my computer wasn't programmed to beam up ink signatures (I don't have Windows 2075).
Samrob
(4,298 posts)Called my family there in Houston and Dallas. We can do this. If it takes changing to update all voter registration info.
I would also check to see if the same matching requirements are being made all over Texas. Voters have been redlined or gerrymandered by race . Someone should be checking to see how those the number of returns in non-white areas compares.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,430 posts)turbinetree
(24,745 posts)do you think I am entitled to get a vote....because after all I helped save the world from a fascists, and what have you done lately in the name of democracy? Forget Cornhole a Cancun Cruz....
TheFarseer
(9,328 posts)He hasnt moved since the 50s? I have to re-register every time I move.