By Juan Montoya
For years, Citizens Against Voting Abuse (CAVA) director Mary Helen Flores has seen politiqueros and politiqueras get arrested, booked, and convicted, spend a day in jail at most, and then walk to harvest votes for local candidates again.
"At most, they spend a day in jail after they have subverted the democratic election process, and determined the outcome of elections with their illegal vote harvesting," Flores said. "Then you see them again standing on street corners with candidates holding up signs. It's very frustrating."
That might change when the Texas Legislature considers passing HB 2139 sponsored by Mike Schofield (R-Katy) a former advisor to Governor Perry. His bill, Flores says, will put teeth into the current Texas Election Code by making organized vote harvesting a crime considered similar to a RICO ( Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) offense.
"This bill puts teethe into the Texas Election Code and makes it a felony to participate in organized vote harvesting," Flores said.
The bill would amend Section 276 which addresses organized election fraud by making it a felony crime if, "with the intent to establish, maintain, or participate in a vote harvesting organization, the person commits or conspires to to commit one or more offenses...An offense under this section is one category higher than the most serious offense listed...and if the most serious offense is a Class A misdemeanor, the offense is a state jail felony."
The bill defines a vote-harvesting organization as "three or more persons who collaborate in committing offenses listed in this section of the Elections Code. The participants do not necessarily have to "know each other's identities, the membership may change from time to time, and participants may stand in a candidate-consultant, donor-consultant, consultant-field operative, or other arm's length relationship with the organization's operations."
The bill states that the conspirators' intent to engage in vote harvesting may be inferred from the acts of the parties.
However, there is an opportunity for redemption. Once convicted, at the punishment phase of the trial, the defendant may raise the issue of whether in voluntary and complete renunciation of the offense...(he or she) withdrew from the vote harvesting organization before the commission of the offense...and made substantial effort to prevent the commission of the offense.
However, they must prove they have changed their ways by a preponderance of the evidence they provide the court.
If passed, the Act takes effect September 1, 2017. Flores said she was contacted by Schofield's office and that she may travel to Austin on either March 27 or April 3.
16 comments:
MHF...(the irony, liberal being rescued by a republiCAN) LOL
Sylvia the hood rat andale harvest the votes again a ver si ganas
W.H.W.D
Oh please Mary Helen is doing just that everyone knows NEXT!
Sorry they're friends so who's harvesting what hmmmm?
Mary Helen IS A JOKE,,,,, two words VALLEY INTERFAITH,,,,,, now ask the RAT to comment on that Juanio,,, ehhh?
No mamen, at least spell the fucking sign correctly; it's just good grammar
Well the elections in San Benito are gonna be good. Hope cava is there to monitor.
CAVA? You mean the one member politiquera who tells Tetreau that she has ValleyInterfaith in her pocket? To be honest I have nothing against her and her good intentions. I do however have a problem with us members being pushed on who to vote for.
VOTE SGP 2018! And not because MH says to but because she's the best choice to represent Cameron County!
Luckily the members don't take her or the president of VI seriously. But hey she gets her puppets to donate money so like they say "Tu nomas dile que si y voten por quien quieran".
MHF is an arrogant joker with a bad attitude. She is advocating for equalilty and fairness yet she does not practice what she preaches
Bad attitude and BAD BREATH to match. I think she's alright as long as she's acting normal and not nutso. Have you heard her talk of all the people she wants to bring down from Team Saenz to poor Kimmie Dale? Yet she does nothing. Sylvia distance yourself SERIOUSLY and Tetreau do the same. We hear all the stories. And MHF get some more volunteers to make CAVA what it could be and most importantly what it should be. You have the vision just develop the heart.
Flores supports only Dems yet when she needs something she runs to Reps? Ugly ass hypocrite. At least be consistent.
This organization is a joke, self serving and a waste of the time. Every single study proves that voter fraud is not a problem. She should form a group to get people to register to vote and get educated on the issues and vote. This is a sham.
They are not there, candidate's get people to poll watch during each election.CAVA DOESN'T DO CRAP!!!
what a bunch of do nothing assholes posting here.
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