Tag Archives: Harris County Tax Assessor

Endorsement watch: Well, he does have a big Twitter following

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m honestly not surprised that the Chron endorsed Dan Crenshaw for re-election. I just wonder if the editorial board ever reads what they write when they come up with this stuff. U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw has 1 million Twitter followers. … Continue reading →

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Despite it all, voter registration keeps increasing

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

You love to see it. Not even the worst pandemic to hit Texas in a century was enough to stem the surge in voter registrations that has remade the state’s electorate over the past four years. Just since March, Texas … Continue reading →

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Interview with Commissioner Rodney Ellis

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Normally, I do candidate interviews for elections, though I do branch out sometimes when there’s an issue or some election-adjacent matter I want to explore. It’s in that spirit that I bring you this conversation I had with Commissioner Rodney … Continue reading →

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Harris County will hire an elections administrator

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just like that. Harris County became the latest in Texas to adopt an independent administrator model to run elections when the Democratic majority on Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to create the new department. Court members voted 3-2 along party lines … Continue reading →

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Could we get an elections administrator along with a new County Clerk?

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. A week after Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman announced she would resign due to health concerns, Commissioners Court on Tuesday plans to debate whether to appoint an independent administrator to run county elections. After Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis … Continue reading →

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Harris County settles lawsuit about voter registration records

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure what to make of this. In a victory for government transparency, Harris County officials settled a lawsuit Tuesday with a conservative voting rights group, agreeing to disclose records of foreign nationals who voted in Texas elections and … Continue reading →

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2020 primary results: Harris County

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with this. Long lines combined with a lack of voting machines turned into frustration for voters at several election sites in Harris County on Super Tuesday. Margaret Hollie arrived at the Multi Service Center on Griggs Road at … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Senate and Tax Assessor

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been very interested to see what the Chron would make of the Senate primary. Now we know: Royce West is their choice. We believe that candidate is state Sen. Royce West of Dallas, an African-American trailblazer whose record over … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of Tax Assessor race

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I wasn’t expecting an interesting race here, at least not going into the filing season, but we have one. Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett is familiar with elections, appearing on the ballot five times in the last six … Continue reading →

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Interview with Ann Harris Bennett

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

As I said before, I wasn’t originally expecting to do interviews in the Democratic primary for Harris County Tax Assessor, but once that became a contested race then of course I had to fit it into the schedule. We all … Continue reading →

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January 2020 campaign finance reports: Harris County

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, New Year’s Day brings a new round of campaign finance reports, for all levels of government. I’m going to be working my way through these as I can, because there’s lots to be learned about the candidates … Continue reading →

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Where the primary action is

Posted on January 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on the Democratic side in Harris County. This should come as a surprise to no one. The crowded Harris County Democratic primary field reflects a new reality in Houston politics: With the county turning an even darker shade of … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jolanda Jones

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We knew a long time ago that this was going to be a busy primary season, with a lot of contested Democratic races. Because the campaign calendar is so short, I have to be very picky about what races I … Continue reading →

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All have filed who are going to file

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Barring any late challenges, disqualifications, or lawsuits, what we have now is our lineup for the March primary. Most of what there is to say was covered in yesterday’s post, but here are the highlights and there is some big … Continue reading →

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The “Has Not Yet Filed” list

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the actual, official filing deadline. Anyone who has not filed for a spot in the primary by 6 PM today is not a candidate for a Democratic nomination in 2020. A whole lot of people have already filed, … Continue reading →

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Filing update: Focus on Harris County

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

One more look at who has and hasn’t yet filed for stuff as we head into the final weekend for filing. But first, this message: Hi y’all, as we approach the filing deadline in Texas, this is a reminder that … Continue reading →

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Filing period preview: Harris County

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Previously: Congress, Statewide, and SBOE/Senate/House. For County races, I cannot use the Patrick Svitek spreadsheet, as it doesn’t include local races. I am instead using the Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Reports for Various County Offices link on the County Clerk … Continue reading →

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The need for voter registration never ends

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A small step back, but I expect a big step forward next year. Democrats in Texas see registering new voters as crucial to winning statewide elections in 2020, but the number of registered voters in Harris County, the state’s largest, … Continue reading →

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Boosting student turnout at UT

Posted on September 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Cool story. Between 2013 and 2016, Texas eliminated more than 400 polling locations, the largest drop in any state during that time. In 2013, after years of litigation, it implemented a strict voter ID law. The law, which lists seven … Continue reading →

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July 2019 campaign finance reports: Harris County

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Before we get to the numbers, please read this. The widow of former Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner El Franco Lee has emptied most of her late husband’s $3.8 million campaign account by donating to community groups and charities. Ethel … Continue reading →

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We’re gonna need a bigger meeting room

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Seems reasonable. With a newfound public interest in Harris County Commissioners Court meetings, which at times have been so crowded that would-be attendees have been turned away, court members plan to build a larger chamber. Commissioners Court [asked] County Engineer … Continue reading →

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Of course there are bills to do something with that bogus SOS advisory

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

What else did you expect? Among other things,  Senate Bill 960 and Senate Bill 953, filed late last week, would require voter registrars across the state to kick every person off the voter rolls who at one point said they were not a citizen … Continue reading →

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Trying again with online voter registration

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Fingers crossed. Texas voter registration might be heading to the internet if any of several bills filed for the upcoming legislative session finds its way to the governor’s desk. Five bills, all filed by Democratic legislators, would require the state … Continue reading →

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An early look at bills about voting

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the Texas Civil Rights Project. Below are some bills to keep an eye on going forward. SB74: Slashing early voting by seven days In 2018, early voting in Texas surged, with over 4,514,000 Texans casting in-person ballots. To paraphrase more festive … Continue reading →

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Today is the last day to register to vote

Posted on October 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Take action as needed. As Texas’ Tuesday voting registration deadline approaches, Nasser and a number of other deputy voter registrars, volunteers allowed to register voters on the spot, were out in force Saturday evening. While many states allow voters to … Continue reading →

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There are reasons why “suspect addresses” may be legit

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Real talk here. Texas law requires voters to register where they live. At the same time, state law requires counties to take voters at their word that their voter registration applications are truthful. Registrars who suspect an address may be … Continue reading →

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Harris County 2018 voter registration numbers

Posted on September 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Thank you Harris County Voter Registration Division and Harris County Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrars for your passion, dedication, and commitment in registering eligible voters! Current number registered: 2,291,037 Voters registered in 2017: 67,753 Voters registered in 2018: … Continue reading →

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County Attorney declares registration challenges invalid

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

That’s one word for it. The Harris County Attorney’s office said Tuesday that the 4,000 voter registrations challenged by a county Republican Party official were invalid, and the voter registrar should not have sent suspension notices to more than 1,700 … Continue reading →

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Vote suspension update

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The situation gets more complicated. Harris County mistakenly placed more than 1,700 voters on its suspension list in response to a local Republican official’s challenge of nearly 4,000 voter registrations, county Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett said Wednesday. The situation … Continue reading →

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If you can’t win, cheat

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is some bullshit. Harris County residents keen to vote in the upcoming midterm elections should be very careful about checking their mail. Recently, some residents of Third Ward received letters informing them of an address change they had not … Continue reading →

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The Ohio voter purge case

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I refer to the Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute case that was decided by SCOTUS on Monday. Here’s a long reading list if you want to get up to speed on it: SCOTUSBlog Pema Levy Mark Joseph Stern Kira … Continue reading →

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Harris County sued by “voter fraud” trolls

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s get this kicked to the curb ASAP. A conservative non-profit group sued Harris County in federal court Thursday to force the county to make available records on how it stops non-U.S. citizens from voting. The Public Interest Legal Foundation … Continue reading →

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Today is the last day to cure a provisional ballot

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

If you voted provisionally during the primary because you did not have an accepted form of ID in your possession when you voted, you need to “cure” your provisional ballot in order for it to be counted. From the inbox: … Continue reading →

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You can still vote if you have been displaced by Harvey

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Nikki Thomason, one of hundreds of people displaced when her Thornwood neighborhood filled with water, never thought her right to vote could be swept away too. “Angry, angry, you know it’s kind of funny … Continue reading →

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