Justice
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Respect
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Compassion
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Diversity
January 19, 2020
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Notes from the Chair: Voting Basics
Most important please vote in the Democratic Primary!
We are going to cover some voting basics in our next few newsletters.
The Democratic Primary is on March 3, 2020
with
early voting running from February 18 to 28, 2020
. Kendall County will have 11 voting locations as in past years. The county has been approved and just last week was confirmed by the Texas Secretary of State for
countywide voting to continue
. This means on election day you can vote in any polling place. In future newsletter editions we will have details on voting locations and times. You will need to determine who you will vote for in the Democratic Primary. The top line races like
President, Senator and Congressman
will have lots of media information that is readily available but you also need to vote down ballot for offices like
Railroad Commissioner, State School Board Member and the many judicial seats.
That will take some work. The
Hill Country League of Women Voters
will have unbiased candidate information for you to review. Online organizations like
Ballotpedia
will also have valuable unbiased information on candidates and races. The San Antonio Express News will recommend candidates and supply a reason for their choice. It is well worth your time to check these sources out. Becky has included some general information on the Texas Railroad Commission. We will cover Texas School Board and Judicial races in the upcoming weeks.
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Voter Registration Certificate
If you are registered to vote you will have received an orange voter registration certificate. If you think you are registered and have not received the card or if the information on the card is not correct, please check with the
Kendall County Election Office
If you are not registered, let us know and we will help you with the process, please email us at
Kendall County Democrats
.
On your registration certificate (example above) you will find your precinct number and other information showing your voting districts, your voter ID number and personal information included in your voter record. It is not necessary to take the card to vote if you have a valid photo ID. When you go to the polls to vote, you will need to present one of the seven (7) acceptable forms of
photo ID
.
If you do not possess an acceptable form of photo identification and in the rare circumstance that you cannot reasonably obtain one, you may present a
supporting form of ID
(one of which is your valid voter registration certificate) and execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration, noting your reasonable impediment to obtaining an acceptable form of photo identification, stating that the information contained in the declaration is true, that you are the same individual personally appearing at the polling place to sign the declaration, and that you face a reasonable impediment to procuring an acceptable form of photo identification. An election official will match your name to the official list of
registered voters.
If you lose your certificate
, notify the
Kendall County Election Office
in writing to receive a new one. You will automatically receive a new certificate every two years if you haven’t moved from the address at which you are registered.
Remember, it is time to make our presence know so when you go vote, in the Primary don’t hesitate to politely announce:
“I’m a Democrat and I want to vote in the Democratic Primary”
Kevin Henning
Kendall County Democratic Party Chair
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Texas Railroad Commission
by Terry Casparis
Have you ever looked at your ballot on Election Day and found yourself wondering about some of the offices that are up for election? Perhaps you have a good understanding of the offices but what about the candidates? If you’re like me, you sometimes wish you had spent more time becoming familiar with the responsibilities of these elected officials and determining which deserves your vote. This can be particularly challenging in a Primary Election because of the number of candidates on the ballot.
It’s our duty to prepare and vote for the candidates who best represent our values and priorities.
Let's examine the race for Railroad Commissioner.
According to the RRC website, “The Railroad Commission of Texas is the oldest regulatory agency in the state and one of the oldest in the country. The Railroad Commission was established in 1891 to regulate the rail industry. Since that time the RRC has been given the responsibility for overseeing the activities of many different industries.”
Today it regulates the oil and gas industry, alternative fuels (liquefied petroleum gas, propane, butane, compressed natural gas, and liquefied natural gas), gas services (natural gas for consumers), and pipeline safety.
The RRC states their purpose is
“to serve Texas by our stewardship of natural resources and the environment, our concern for personal and community safety, and our support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans.
”
Environmental advocates have a number of quarrels with the RRC over this statement and believe that they’ve prioritized fossil fuel development over their responsibility to protect the environment. It is important to note that RRC assigned the right of eminent domain to Kinder Morgan to build the Permian Highway Pipeline. This action has been challenged in court, with appeals pending.
Three Commissioners are elected statewide to six-year, staggered terms.
The Chairman is chosen by the Commissioners. One Commissioner position is on the ballot every two years.
This year, Ryan Sitton is up for re-election, and he has a Republican primary opponent, James Wright.
Sitton’s
biography
makes no secret of this deep ties to the oil and gas industry he is supposed to regulate.
The four Democratic candidates for Railroad Commissioner are listed below
with links to their campaign websites. I encourage you to review this information and make an informed decision about who is best to represent our Democratic values.
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Office Now Open to the Public Three Days a Week
Wednesdays
9-11 a.m. and 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Fridays
1:30-4:30 p.m.
Saturday
1:30-4:30 p.m.
Stop by to pick up the latest campaign collateral/signs, peruse our KCDP Art Gallery, or take or leave a book from the Progressive Little Library.
I
f you’d like to volunteer to staff a shift,
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"Digital Office Hours"
W
e will continue to hold “Digital Office Hours” every Wednesday morning from 9-11 a.m. at the new office. Stop by with your questions on any of the tools. Bring your laptop/device, or use Laura's or Becky’s laptop.
Digital Office Hours: Now Featuring Short Training Videos
Our Wednesday “Digital Office Hours” have hosted a steady stream of visitors. Starting this Wednesday, January 15, we’ll also feature one or two training videos from the Texas Democratic Party training website on our big screen TV. For January 15, we’ll feature two half-hour training sessions: “Key Dates for the 2020 Cycle” and “Get Out the Vote.”
RSVP
or just pop by!
We are happy to schedule some other time to work with you, if Wednesday mornings aren’t convenient; just let us know. (Becky will make house calls!)
We hope you’ll take advantage of our “office hours,” and please feel free to share with your key volunteers. We look forward to seeing you!
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Come join us for Boerne's 5th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Walk
Monday, January 20th.
The start time is 10:00
The 1.3 mile walk will begin at the Boerne Main Plaza. Martin Luther King Jr. is one our nation's most revered civil rights leaders. King promoted nonviolence, while building harmony, respect, understanding and goodwill among all people. "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." - Martin Luther King Jr. Let us spread the love! Bring your family, friends and neighbors. To RSVP call the Boerne Family YMCA: 830-815-1040 or email Rezia Olson:
reziao@ymcasatx.org
This is a free event.
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Your entire
donation
goes directly to Kendall County Democratic Party, except for a 3.95% credit card processing fee. The money we raise supports the Democratic Operations for Kendall County. We need funds to operate an Office, Train volunteers, “Get out the vote” efforts; Mailings, Posters, Advertising, etc.
Donate Online!
We encourage you to donate to the Party online with the secure online donation site ActBlue accessible from our
home page.
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There are more of us than you think!
We're still looking for local Dems! If you run into any “like minded people,” send their name and email address to
Laura Bray
so we can add them to our mailing list and into VAN as a “strong/lean Democrat.” We want to keep building that list into 2020 and beyond!
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Kendall County Democratic Store
Show your pride for the Kendall County, Texas Democratic Party! Apparel comes in a variety of colors and styles.
Check out the selections; KCDP logo t-shirts, sweatshirts, stickers, totes and more available
Purchase Here
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Feel free to forward to a friend!
Office
518 East Blanco, Boerne
( same building as Mary’s Tacos,
enter through rear entrance)
Hours: Weds, Fri, and Sat
from 1:30-4:30.p.m.
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830-388-0109 bstrain947@aol.com
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