[Mar 4, 2008 4:29 PM]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2008

Contact: Press Office, 703-875-1271
txpress@hillaryclinton.com

Across Texas today, we are seeing record voter turnout.  We are pleased to see that voting in today’s primary is running smoothly and that Texas Democrats are energized and participating in the process.

In preparation for tonight’s precinct conventions, the Clinton campaign has worked with the Obama campaign and the Texas Democratic Party over the past few weeks to ensure that there was clarity of the rules and that every voter has a chance to participate in the process on an even playing field.

Unfortunately, we have received numerous reports that the Obama campaign is violating Texas Democratic Party rules by circulating precinct convention sign in sheets in advance and are having them filled in now.  These underhanded tactics undermine the process that all parties agreed to.

The Texas Democratic Party has issued a memo this afternoon once again clarifying that these sign-in sheets are invalid and that this tactic is a violation of the rules.

We want every Texas voter to know that sign in sheets distributed before the primary polls close, will not count.  We encourage them to participate in their precinct convention by showing up at their polling location at 6:30pm.

We call on the Obama campaign to join us in repudiating these tactics, and to work with us and the state party to ensure that the integrity of the process is maintained.

We look forward to a tremendous turnout in both the primary and tonight’s precinct conventions.
 

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Interested Parties

FROM:            Lyn Utrecht
                        Campaign Counsel

RE:                   Caucus Irregularities

          The campaign legal hotline has been flooded with calls containing specific accusations of irregularities and voter intimidation against the Obama campaign.  This activity is undemocratic, probably illegal, and reflects a wanton disregard for the caucus process.

The three most egregious categories are:

1)     Irregularities: Prematurely Taking Precinct Convention Packets by Obama Campaign

   Numerous calls have shown that Obama supporters prematurely removed convention packets from polling places.  Packets may not legally given out until 7:15 PM or when the last voter has cast a ballot in the primary.  The Texas State Party warned the Obama campaign in writing that they may not take these packets early or remove them from the polling locations.  The Party directed that these irregularities be reported to law enforcement “since they amount to criminal violations.”  The Party stated “removing convention packets . . .  will not be tolerated.”

            659 – Tarrant
            709 – Houston
            2316 – Tarrant
            1205 – Dallas
            3127 – Bexar
            3082 – Fort Bend
            18/224 – Harris
            3221 – Dallas
            87 – El Paso
            851 – Houston
            115 - Harris
            470 – Galveston
            388 – Harris
            3000 – Dallas
            1214 – Dallas
            20 – Medina
            205 – Walker
 

2)     Voter Intimidation: Lock-out of Clinton caucus goers by Obama Campaign

Numerous calls have been received that the Obama campaign has taken over caucus sites and locked the doors, excluding Clinton campaign supporters from participating in the caucus.  The Clinton supporters have been unable to enter the premises to caucus.  In at least one instance, law enforcement was called and forcibly opened the caucus site.

A sampling of the precincts where this occurred are:

3.    There are numerous instances of Obama supporters filing out precinct convention sign-in sheets during the day and submitting them as completed vote totals at caucus.  This is expressly against the rules. The sign-in sheets were copied by the Obama campaign from the Texas Democratic Party website and taken by supporters to various polling places to sign-up caucus goers prior to the start of the caucuses