A suspicious fire and ongoing voter registration fraud scandal make registering to vote and early voting more important than ever in Harris County.

Confusion and obfuscation are at play for many who wish to cast their vote in the general election slated for November 2, 2010. Chief among the concerns are the recent allegations of voter registration fraud and a suspicious fire that destroyed 10,000 voting machines here in Harris County.

Harris County Voter Registrar Leo Vasquez has uncovered thousands of duplicate voter registrations, voter registrations filled out by non-citizens, as well as arm twisting and thuggish intimidation by voter registration "deputies," resulting in thousands of voter registrations being rejected by the Registrar’s office because of incorrect, missing or false information.

All of these registrations came from a supposedly “non-partisan” group called Houston Votes, which is the voter registration machine of another non-profit claiming to be “non-partisan” called Texans Together for Education. Texans Together’s Board of Directors and Advisory Board is filled with current and past Democrat office holders, Planned Parenthood executives and former Clinton staff members, many of whom reside in Austin, not in Harris County.

Mr. Vasquez’s investigation and exposure of Houston Votes tactics, and the resultant rejection of thousands of registrations filed with the Harris County registrar’s office, has now led to a hissy-fit lawsuit being filed by the Harris County Democrat Party which apparently “assumes” that all the registrations thrown out by Vasquez were those of “democrat” leaning voters or potential voters.  Because, you know, whenever a “non-partisan” group registers people to vote they only register potential democrats to sign up.  The patronizing assertion of the Democrat Party being that if you plan to vote Democrat, you're not capable of registering on your own. 

If you were ever contacted by someone from Houston Votes, or filled out paperwork with one of the employees of Houston Votes and want to make certain you’re actually, legitimately, legally registered to vote in Harris County, you can find out by clicking HERE. We encourage any Harris County Voter who is uncertain about his or her registration status to confirm their registration,  regardless of how you plan to vote.

The last day to register to vote is just one month away, October 4. Don’t let your opportunity to exercise your right to vote pass you by.  If you know you’re registered, or once you’ve confirmed that you’re registered, you can then request a form to vote now by mail.

To get an application to vote by mail click HERE.  The last day to apply for an application is October 26.

Early voting begins soon, starting on October 18 and running through October 29.

Due to the recent fire at the Harris County Election Technology Center, which destroyed over 10,000 voting machines, voting by mail and early voting turnout are critical if you want your vote to be counted.

While Harris County Clerk, Beverly Kaufman, is hard at work to ensure that alternative solutions are in place to collect and count the vote on November 2, 2010, a heavy early vote turnout in combination with a heavy mail-in vote would help the situation dramatically.

Election day is November 2, 2010, but there is much you can do starting now to make your vote count, to make your voice heard.

Many forces exist that would rather some of you not show up at the polls.  Voting is your right.  It is up to you and you alone to choose who will represent you.  You decide who makes the law, who interprets the law, and who serves you as an elected public official.

It is not the press who chooses. It is not the right of any special interest group to affect or hinder your vote.

It is your choice alone. You choose your elected leaders.  Vote by mail.  Vote early.  Show up on November 2, 2010.  It’s your decision. Sit idly by or get involved.  Vote or just complain. Curse the darkness or light a candle.