Primary runoff elections are today, but if you normally vote at the Oak Lawn Library, you’ll have to travel all the way to Mockingbird and Abrams to vote — and at a Baptist Church no less. Stonewall Democrats of Dallas just sent over an “URGENT ALERT” announcing this change, which we’ve confirmed with a quick check of the Dallas County Elections Web site. I’ll post an explanation as soon I get more info, but for now here is the polling location for voters in Precincts 1232 and 1233:
Wilshire Baptist Church
4316 Abrams Road
Dallas Texas 75214
UPDATE: A representative from the Dallas County Democratic Party says this change was a result of “pairings” to reduce the number of poll locations and limit costs during runoffs, when voter turnout is very low. The representative said the party normally tries to pair polling locations that are close together, but it doesn’t always work out so well. The distance from the Oak Lawn Library to Wilshire Baptist Church is about 5.83 miles, and travel time is 12 minutes with no traffic. I’m waiting for a call back from Steve Tillery, executive director of the party.
2 Comments
I can’t imagine that this is a tactic to limit LGBT participation in this election, but I’m curious if there have been any other inconvenient “pairings”.
Well Stonewall Democrats endorsed Larry Duncan for County Judge, but the powers that be in the Dallas County Democratic Party (Craig Watkins, Royce West, John Wiley Price, etc.) have anointed Clay Jenkins, who lives, and until recently, voted in Ellis County.
Was closing the Oak Lawn polling location done so they could dilute the LGBT vote to help Jenkins?
I want those questions asked and answered.
I vote at Dan D. Rogers Elementary, which is literally less than a mile down the road on Abrams from Wilshire Baptist Church (where Oak Lawn Library voters were sent). Why weren’t Dan D. Rogers Elementary and Wilshire Baptist Church consolidated since they are practically next door to each other? I know from listening to the poll workers at Dan D. Rogers Elementary talk, that both of those locations had low turnout.
John, you should seriously pursue this.