Why do Democrats want straight-party voting? Because the oligarchs who rule the Democratic Party of Texas consider their average voters of limited intelligence. The worldviews and values between the two parties is clearly defined, by no means should you assume Democrats are unintelligent. The division is not a matter of intelligence, it is along the line between practical atheism and practical Christianity.
Straight-party voting disenfranchises voters who want to choose the best of all parties. For example, here in the Fourth District of Texas, Congressman Ralph Hall was many terms a Democrat for whom both Democrats and Republicans (like me) voted. Ralph switched parties in January of 2004.
The main idea behind eliminating straight-party voting in Texas was to encourage voters to make informed decisions whereas beforehand only a few candidates of a party had to actually campaign to garner votes for the entire partisan ticket. As an example, I cite the 2018 elections that brought a Democrat majority to the Texas Fifth Court of Appeals.
Want One Bad Example of Straight-Party Voting?
Straight-party voting in the 2018 elections overturned the court from a Rule-of-Law court to an anything-goes court. Cory Carlyle, Ken Molberg, Bill Pedersen, Robbie Partida-Kipness, Leslie Lester Osborne, Erin Nowell, and Robert D. Burns III — Democrats all — assumed office in 2019. Why is this significant?
| Position | DMN Recommendations | Straight-Party Winners |
| Chief justice | Douglas Lang (REP) | Robert Burns (DEM) |
| Place 2 | David Evans (REP) | Robbie Partida-Kipness (DEM) |
| Place 5 | Craig Stoddart (REP) | Erin Nowell (DEM) |
| Place 9 | Jason Boatright (REP) | Bill Pedersen (DEM) |
| Place 10 | Molly Francis (REP) | Amanda Reichek (DEM) |
| Place 11 | John Browning (REP) | Cory Carlyle (DEM) |
| Place 12 | Jim Pikl (REP) | Ken Molberg (DEM) |
| Place 13 | Elizabeth Lang Miers (REP) | Leslie Lester Osborne (DEM) |
The not-so-conservative Dallas Morning News highly recommended all eight Republicans for the Texas Fifth Court of Appeals. None of the Democrat candidates were deemed qualified for this important court.
Most voters are little informed on the qualifications of all candidates in any given year. In general, for Texas voters of either party not voting straight-party, an unfamiliar/unknown candidate will not get his or her vote. This is actually a good example of informed choice.
The Texas Legislature ended straight-party voting to force voters to make informed decisions.
What is the history of straight-party voting in Texas?
Is it exclusively the practice of Democrats? No, voters of both parties have been doing it, more Democrats in some counties, more Republicans in others. See chart to the right.
Democrat Obstructionism To The Rescue
Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo, an Obama appointee, blocked the law. Why? Not because the law is unconstitutional, not because the law disenfranchises anyone.
“She argued that it could take voters a longer amount of time to fill out a ballot without straight-ticket voting — which allows voters to choose one party’s entire lineup of candidates with just one ballot mark —and extend potential COVID-19 exposure at voting booths.”
Well, I must give her credit for one fact: yes, it actually takes more time to mark two or more candidates than it takes to mark only one box. Sheer genius on her part. Yes, my pen drips with sarcasm. Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo said the law was ‘unconstitutional’ but she cannot cite even one sentence from the the U.S. Constitution to support her ruling.
Her specious argument has no merit because Governor Greg Abbott extended early voting to three weeks so no one has to wait in line very long. As a pastor friend says, “Opinions are like noses. Everybody has one.”
“The longer voters stand in line, the greater the risk that they contract COVID-19. Texans already wait a long time to exercise their right to vote,” the judge wrote. Her opinion was strictly a political ploy.
With respect to precedents, a total of 43 states do not permit straight-party/straight-ticket voting.
Thankfully, our Texas Attorney General immediately appealed this nonsensical ruling.
“I am disappointed that the Court departed from its prior reasoning and imposed straight ticket voting only weeks before a general election. My office has filed a motion to stay the district court’s injunction,” said Attorney General Paxton. “In addition, my office will file an immediate appeal of the district court’s ruling in order to defend the integrity of Texas’s electoral process and a practice used in 43 other states.”
9/26/2020 AG Paxton Seeks Stay After Federal Judge Reverses Course and Orders Straight-Ticket Voting
John White
Rockwall, Texas
Vox Populi Non Peri 