Maverick County’s Registered Voters List riddled with inaccuracies
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
Maverick County Commissioners Court addressed the concerns of some Maverick County voters who were not allowed to vote in their precinct during the March 4, 2014 primary election as an agenda item during a special meeting held on Monday, March 24, 2014, opening a can of worms regarding the many inaccuracies of the official Maverick County Voter Registration List administered by County Elections Administrator Roy Schmerber.
Maverick County Commissioner of Precinct 1, Gerardo “Jerry” Morales placed the item on the agenda and raised the concern of some Precinct 1 registered voters who were not allowed to vote in Precinct 1 during the recently held March 4th primary election because the Maverick County Voter Registration List had their address as belonging to Precinct 2.
“We had an incident where two residents who live in Precinct 1 were given voting ballots to vote in Precinct 2. Apparently, when the redistricting took place they were left in Precinct 2. I also made contact with another lady who resides in Precinct 2 but was given a ballot to vote in Precinct 1,” said Commissioner Morales. Morales cited the inconsistencies experienced by Maverick County voters during the March 4th primary election due to the County Voter Registration List been inaccurate and not updated.
“I want to find out how we can remedy this situation. I spoke to the Election Office Administrator, Mr. Roy Schmerber, and he advised me that this people needed to re-register. I feel that if the street they live in physically falls in Precinct 1, then they should be allowed to vote in that Precinct,” said Commissioner Morales. Morales further stated that a solution needed to be found for this County Voter Registration List problem.
“ I do know that a lot of the residents along that street in question were given ballots for Precinct 2,” added Commissioner Morales.
Maverick County Elections Administrator, Roy Schmerber, told Commissioners Court that when the County’s redistricting was done in 2010, the Chula Vista area in question had been changed precincts. Schmerber further stated that they were able to change all the people who had a physical address to the corresponding, appropriate precinct according to the redistricting format. However, Schmerber noted that those residents who have not yet obtained a new 911 System address have not been changed precincts.
Schmerber explained that numerous addresses still to this date correspond to an old lot number address and that because of the implementation of the current 911 system of addresses they cannot be changed unless the resident responds to the change. “ They did not have a 911 address and they were notified through different media sources of the changes and were advised to come in to do the changes,” said Schmerber. “If they didn’t come in, its kind of hard for me to do the changes,” added Schmerber.
Schmerber further explained that mistakes are possible when identifying streets and how they are written in the the voter registration cards. Schmerber noted that the voter’s address are in-putted into the County Voter Registration List system exactly the way they are presented, which would warrant some of the mistakes being seen, if the streets were not properly identified by the person doing the registrations.
Schmerber also stated that the system will not allow certain addresses to be entered due to lot- number, numerology within the street addresses being used for voter registration, so they have to systematically verify information through other sources such as the Maverick County Appraisal District’s Office.
Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo then asked Schmerber if the elections office could receive the support of the court to rectify the problem.
“ Can the commissioners submit a report to you on findings because apparently Mr. Morales is seeing something here that someone else is not picking up on,” asked Judge Saucedo.
“Can he physically take you there to show you that those people live in Precinct 1and not Precinct 2 to get the change needed?” Judge Saucedo asked Schmerber.
Schmerber then replied that they still needed to make a request for the change and that he could not make the change automatically.
“ We did that when the redistricting was done but now they have to sign a card for change of addresses,” said Schmerber.
Judge Saucedo then asked why that needed to be done. Schmerber replied that way they could go into the system and change the address. “There are problems like those in every precinct,” said Schmerber.
Schmerber further stated that they could not be changed because of the lack of a 911 system address. Schmerber implied that it is the responsibility of each citizen to get a proper 911 system address for those living in the County and a street address for those living in the City limits and then register or re-register with the correct address with the County Elections Office.
Commissioner Jerry Morales identified and pointed out that only certain streets had suffered this fate because there are many streets that still hold lot number addresses but those streets were properly redistricted, except some who he feels suffered some confusion because of almost the same exact street name.
“One solution that can be taken is through the volunteer deputy registers to reach out to those experiencing this problem to change their addresses,” said Schmerber.
Legal Counsel Poncho Nevarez intervened and stated that the issue could be addressed if the election office changes the old lot numbers into the new state mandated 911 address system.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal also learned that Democratic Party candidate for County Commissioner of Precinct 1 Marcos De Los Santos was also not allowed to vote in the March 4th primary election because his home address was listed as being in Precinct 2 instead of Precinct 1 despite being allowed to register as a Precinct 1 candidate. De Los Santos residence was re-districted in 2010 to Precinct 1 from Precinct 2, but the County Voter Registration List was not updated.
Schmerber stated that the U.S. Post Office is returning all mail addressed to Lot Number addresses and the former HCR addresses for residences in the county.
Judge Saucedo then suggested that Commissioner Morales get together with the appropriate representatives from the 911 Address Management System to ensure that the problem with addresses and the County Voter Registration List is rectified.
Schmerber replied that representatives of the 911 Address Management system and U.S. Post Office attempted to send letters of notification on many occasions but many people did not respond.
“Many people have gotten the letters with the number placards, but they do not put them up and they don’t make any attempt to change the address according to the state mandate 911 system,” said Schmerber.
“The Commissioner is pointing it out to you, we have a responsibility to do something about it not just say well, they did not come in to change their addresses,” emphasized Judge Saucedo to Schmerber.
As a result of the addresses problem with the County Voter Registration List, local elections are subject to being easily manipulated with people being allowed to vote in precincts that they do not reside in. An earlier investigation by the Eagle Pass Business Journal on voter manipulation and deception in Maverick County by political campaign workers, also known as “Acarreadoras,” found that minors were registered to vote, dead people were still registered to vote, fictitious people were registered to vote, some people had multiple addresses, some people registered at fictitious addresses, some people registered at local businesses and warehouses addresses, and others were registered to empty lots without a residence. How can all this be possible?
The Eagle Pass Business Journal investigation also found that the County Voter Registration List inaccurate addresses lends itself to voters voting in a different precinct than where they actually reside or wherever there vote(s) are most needed by a certain candidate(s) and the manipulation of local and county elections.
Currently, in McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas, several candidates have filed legal challenges of their March 4th primary election results for these very same address problems and manipulation of the County Voter Registration Lists. In Maverick County, no candidates filed an election contest by the Monday, March 24th deadline.
An Eagle Pass Business Journal review of the 2014 Maverick County Voter Registration List found that these problems still exists and persists within the County Voter list.
This issue raised by Commissioner Jerry Morales is important and demands the full support and attention of Commissioners Court and the citizens of Maverick County to obtain a 911 Management System address and register with the correct address with the Maverick County Election Administration Office. Commissioners Court approved to correct the problem and ordered the Maverick County Elections Administration Office to take the necessary steps to remedy the inaccuracies of the County Voter Registration List.
All Maverick County citizens who live outside the city limits of Eagle Pass must obtain a 911 Management System Address through the Middle Rio Grande Development Council’s 911 Office at 1200 Ferry Street with Eddie Guerra at (830) 773-1191 and then register to vote with the Maverick County Elections Administration Office located at 370 N. Monroe with Roy Schmerber at (830) 757-4175.
Maverick County citizens can no longer use addresses with Route numbers, Lot numbers, or HCR addresses because the U.S. Postal Service will not deliver your mail to you and your residence or home will not be listed on the 911 Management System and emergency personnel will be unable to find or locate your residence or home in the event of an emergency call by you or someone from your family. Please, let’s all go and get a 911 Management System Address if we do not have one yet. Your life or that of a loved one, may depend on it, as well as stamp out voter manipulation and fraud in Maverick County.
