DALLAS -
Registering high school students to vote on National Voter Registration Day raised voices and tempers at the Dallas County Commissioner's Court on Tuesday.
Apparently the argument was over the fact that the League of Women Voters partnered with the Dallas County Elections Department to get into high schools for a registration drive.
Commissioner Mike Cantrell accused the League of Women Voters of being a left-leaning group and registering students to vote for President Obama. His anger was targeted at Dallas County Elections Administrator Toni-Pippins Poole.
"We can hide and disguise all kinds of stuff. Everybody understands what's going on here, Toni. What I'm asking you to do is stay out of partisan politics. Work with the groups, that's fine. But don't lend your name and your contacts to partisan groups," Cantrell said.
County Judge Clay Jenkins sarcastically suggested this was a conspiracy, pointing out at Richardson High School it was the PTA who was registering 18 year old voters.
Since 1985 the election code has made every public and private high school principal in Texas a deputy registrar. They must give out applications to 18 year olds.
Part of the argument Tuesday was about the fact that the League of Women Voters only went to public schools and not private or charter schools. Some saw that as an obvious attempt to register only students who may be liberal in their thinking and who will vote for a Democrat for president.
