WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:02:30.5450000" NOTE recognizability:0.848 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.840 Six the March 1st primary NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:03.312 only six weeks away. NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:03.320 --> 00:00:06.200 It'll be the first major election since SB1, NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:07.640 the state's controversial new NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:07.640 --> 00:00:09.440 voting law went into effect. NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:11.630 Hundreds of Texas voters are already NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:11.630 --> 00:00:13.759 having issues requesting mail in ballots. NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:13.760 --> 00:00:16.545 Are Marcelina Benito spoke to NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:16.545 --> 00:00:18.773 the Harris County elections NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:18.773 --> 00:00:21.054 administrator and has tips to make NOTE Confidence: 0.8361553 00:00:21.054 --> 00:00:23.720 sure you will be able to vote. This NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:23.720 --> 00:00:25.290 is uncharted territory for us. NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:25.290 --> 00:00:26.975 Isabel Longoria, Harris County elections NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:26.975 --> 00:00:28.660 Administrator and her team prepping NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:28.704 --> 00:00:30.300 for that critical March 1st primary, NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:30.300 --> 00:00:32.310 the first time since Texas Republicans NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:32.310 --> 00:00:34.050 passed stricter voting rules in SB1, NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:34.050 --> 00:00:35.620 the Secretary of State is NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:35.620 --> 00:00:37.200 still sending daily updates on NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:39.369 how to make Senate Bill 1 happen, NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:39.370 --> 00:00:41.246 and so it just feels like a NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:41.246 --> 00:00:42.486 rushed process for something NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:42.486 --> 00:00:44.376 that's so important under the NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:44.380 --> 00:00:46.431 new law. Voters wanting a mail in NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:46.431 --> 00:00:48.140 ballot must include their drivers, NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:48.140 --> 00:00:49.700 license number or Social Security NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:50.948 number on their application. NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:50.950 --> 00:00:52.242 Many applications are failing NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:52.242 --> 00:00:54.180 to meet the new ID requirements. NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:54.180 --> 00:00:56.788 Counties now have to match those ID numbers NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:56.788 --> 00:00:59.096 with info in a person's voting file, NOTE Confidence: 0.8715209 00:00:59.100 --> 00:01:01.068 but many voter rolls don't have NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:01.070 --> 00:01:03.662 that data. It is those kind of errors NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:03.662 --> 00:01:06.638 that are a direct result of the new laws. NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:09.592 The SP1 laws that are just making harder for NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:09.600 --> 00:01:11.220 voters to get through an NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:11.220 --> 00:01:12.840 already complex system so far NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:12.900 --> 00:01:14.520 this year in Harris County, NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:14.520 --> 00:01:16.690 16% of the 1276 applications have been NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:16.690 --> 00:01:18.778 rejected in the 2018 Texas primary, NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:20.748 only two point 5% were rejected. NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:20.750 --> 00:01:22.714 It's a red flag that we're NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:22.714 --> 00:01:24.114 watching in Travis County. NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:24.114 --> 00:01:25.230 Problem even worse, NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:25.230 --> 00:01:27.168 nearly 50% of mail in ballot NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:27.168 --> 00:01:28.137 applications rejected there. NOTE Confidence: 0.8441109 00:01:28.140 --> 00:01:29.428 So far, a confusion NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:29.430 --> 00:01:31.159 is going to have what I will NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:33.231 call a pretty much equal effect NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:33.231 --> 00:01:34.915 on democratic Republican voters. NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:36.208 KHOU political analyst Bob NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:36.210 --> 00:01:37.825 Stein predicts these types of NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:37.825 --> 00:01:39.117 problems will only increase. NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:41.058 It may not have much of NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:41.060 --> 00:01:42.670 an impact in the primaries, NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:42.670 --> 00:01:44.115 but I think in November NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:44.115 --> 00:01:46.220 will be a lot of concern, NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:46.220 --> 00:01:47.840 particularly if come November 2022. NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:49.455 We are still under the NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:49.455 --> 00:01:51.390 fear of a pandemic. To make NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:51.390 --> 00:01:53.917 sure your mail in ballot request isn't NOTE Confidence: 0.85857195 00:01:53.917 --> 00:01:55.680 rejected. Gorius best advice include NOTE Confidence: 0.81657934 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:58.284 either your phone number or email on NOTE Confidence: 0.81657934 00:01:58.284 --> 00:02:00.746 your application so that we have the NOTE Confidence: 0.81657934 00:02:00.746 --> 00:02:03.060 opportunity to call you in case there NOTE Confidence: 0.81657934 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:05.335 is something that needs to be correct NOTE Confidence: 0.81657934 00:02:05.335 --> 00:02:08.250 and if you have any questions at all NOTE Confidence: 0.81657934 00:02:08.250 --> 00:02:10.423 about the process, you can always NOTE Confidence: 0.81657934 00:02:10.423 --> 00:02:12.178 call Harris County elections at NOTE Confidence: 0.81657934 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:13.825 713-755-6965. We are here every NOTE Confidence: 0.81657934 00:02:13.825 --> 00:02:16.040 single day to answer those questions NOTE Confidence: 0.81657934 00:02:16.040 --> 00:02:18.497 for voters. Marcelino Benito KHOU 11 news. NOTE Confidence: 0.8309158 00:02:19.650 --> 00:02:22.570 The last day to register for that upcoming NOTE Confidence: 0.8309158 00:02:22.570 --> 00:02:25.388 March 1st primary is Monday, January 31st. NOTE Confidence: 0.8309158 00:02:25.388 --> 00:02:27.632 You can check your registration status NOTE Confidence: 0.8309158 00:02:27.632 --> 00:02:30.545 on the Texas Secretary of State website.