Special thanks to Jane Scholz to speaking in favor for Voting Center in Denton County...

So, first I want to thank the four of you who met personally with me and other supporters of countywide election day voting over the last year or so. Yes. To discuss the issue. The four of you listened to us. You responded thoughtfully. You voiced no security concerns about countywide election day voting,

and you agree that it's a problem that so many people are turned away from polling locations. These were cordial conversations. But it was clear that you're not willing to buck the Republican Party insiders who support the current system. Interestingly, the one commissioner who refused to meet with us and who is not here today was the only outspoken opponent of countywide Election Day voting.

And she didn't make it out of her primary last spring. I think it's an interesting political comment. I also want to thank Republican Party Chair Melinda Preston, who's here today, for taking the time to talk personally with me about this issue a while back. And I really appreciate her courage in publicly stating her reasons for blocking countywide Election Day voting here, something that

her predecessor refused to do. Now, when I talk to voters about this issue, they often ask me why the Republican Party here opposes countywide Election Day voting. Easy to answer. I just repeat the reasons Ms. Preston has given right here in this room. And I found that they actually make a very strong

argument for vote centers. When I finish that conversation, people sign the petition, or they show up here. Her most convincing argument is that we can't switch to countywide Election Day voting because once we do, it will be impossible to get back to the old assigned precinct system. And I have to say she's right about that.

One hundred Texas counties with 87% of the state's voters already have countywide Election Day voting. And when the Republican Party forced a few of those counties, including Dallas, to revert to the old precinct based system for the March 3rd primary last year, confusion and chaos ensued. Voters were angry. Lawsuits got filed.

At least one party official lost his job. It's no surprise. Voters who have it like countywide election day voting, and they hate being forced back to the outdated system we still use. But unhappily, while all this has gone on over the past two and a half years, no action has been taken

In that time, something like 30,000 legally registered Denton County voters have been turned away from at least one polling place just because they showed up at the wrong place to vote. And it's about to get worse. The number of voters who suffer from this policy, ranging from inconvenience and anger to downright disenfranchisement, is about to jump dramatically on November 3rd, when Denton County voters are

likely to turn out in record numbers. So today I have handed over to you a petition signed by about 1,800 Denton County voters calling for countywide Election Day voting, vote centers. Now these folks are from all over the county, as you can see because the petition is organized by the signers place of residence. We understand that by law, no petition can force you

to take action. But this reinforces that our current system is not popular with voters, and the people of Denton County are ready for a change. Give us that change. Countywide Election Day voting, voting centers for now. Thank you.