Your right to vote is a fundamental right. The importance of your vote can be gaged by the quotations below of two well-known Texas Democrats. "Su voto es su voz... Your vote is your voice. The people who vote make decisions in this nation; and the more people that vote ... the better this democracy can be." - Congressman Solomon Ortiz "A man without a vote is man without protection." President Lyndon B. Johnson

A successful democracy depends on open, accountable and ethical government, secure and verifiable elections, and fair and enforceable campaign laws. Unfortunately, in the case of Texas, as quoted by Texas Democrat Chris Bell, "the problem with Texas ethics isn't what is illegal so much as what is perfectly legal. The culture of corruption is so entrenched in Texas politics that it is now a radical notion to apply common sense to something as basic as right & wrong" Texas Democrats believe existing state laws must be enforced and strengthened and new laws must be enacted to protect our democracy and restore the public trust. To protect the fundamental right of voters to cast their ballots in a system that is free from intimidation, discrimination, or abuse by partisans or state and local officials; Texas Democrats support:

• extension and enforcement of the Voting Rights Act and the right of all Texans to participate in the political process, including improving access to accurate instruction for using voting systems to ensure no voter is denied their right to vote due to language barriers or new and confusing voting systems
• securing the integrity and outcome of election results by requiring that electronic voting systems provide a paper printout to allow votes to be verified, counted accurately, certified, and recounted, including a requirement that a voter verifiable paper ballot serve as the official ballot in recounts
• a constitutional prohibition against mid-decade redistricting unless a court order determines that a redistricting plan violates legal or constitutional standards
• a certification and selection process for voting systems is open to public review, testing and analysis, including rigorous oversight by a non-partisan commission consisting of qualified computer experts and programmers who would perform logic and accuracy tests prior to deploying machines for elections, as well as parallel testing during the election
• a requirement that the TDP State Chair be allowed to obtain "read and write" access permission to all Texas Election Administration Management (TEAM) database tables and fields with complete documentation and appoint two liaison persons who are required to attend all meetings called by the Secretary of State on TEAM matters and report findings on data security to the TDP State Chair; and
• reform of the electoral college.

Yes, rest assured, your Texas Democrats will protect your right to vote. Your voting choice will decide your quality of life.