Tag Archives: Secretary of State

So were we targeted by Russian hackers or not?

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Depends who you ask, I guess. A top state official is pushing back against the federal government’s claim that Texas was among states whose election systems were targeted by Russian hackers ahead of the 2016 presidential election. “At no point … Continue reading →

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Texas was a hacking target in 2016

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’re just finding out about this now? Hackers targeted Texas and 20 other states prior to the 2016 presidential election, the United States Department of Homeland Security has formally informed the states. But the hackers who tried to mess with … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over giving voter data to bogus Trump commission

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I missed this last week. The League of Women Voters of Texas and the Texas NAACP said Thursday they have sued Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos over plans to release voter information to President Donald Trump’s election commission. Texas … Continue reading →

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ACLU seeks information about state’s compliance with Trump election commission

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today the ACLU of Texas filed an open records request with the Texas Secretary of State seeking documentation related to the State’s compliance with the federal Election Integrity Commission, which had asked states to submit voters’ full … Continue reading →

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Your periodic reminder that non-citizens very rarely vote

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I know you don’t need a reminder, being sophisticated followers of the news and all, but here it is anyway. Since Donald Trump won the Electoral College vote in November, our new commander-in-chief has consistently attacked the legitimacy of popular vote … Continue reading →

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Not many states are honoring that “give us your voter data” request

Posted on July 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to hear it. Forty-four states and the District of Columbia have refused to provide certain types of voter information to the Trump administration’s election integrity commission, according to a CNN inquiry to all 50 states. State leaders and voting … Continue reading →

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Texas will turn over some voter info to Trump vote “fraud” commission

Posted on July 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this: Texas will hand over personal information of the state’s more than 15 million voters to President Donald Trump’s commission that is looking into voter fraud. Secretary of State Rolando Pablos said his … Continue reading →

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Voter ID 2.0 gets final passage

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully, this will turn out to have been a waste of time. The Texas House and Senate have approved a deal to relax the state’s voter identification requirements, meaning the closely watched legislation now only awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s approval. … Continue reading →

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The state’s voter ID failure is much bigger than you think

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

You really have to read this. The confusion started in the first hour of the first day of early voting in San Antonio last October. Signs in polling places about the state’s controversial voter ID law contained outdated rules. Poll … Continue reading →

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Voter ID education was a massive failure

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is outrageous. The University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs recently completed a report, “The Texas Voter ID Law and the 2016 Election,” based on surveys of registered voters who sat out the 2016 elections in the state’s … Continue reading →

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Bill to force transparency on voter ID outreach filed

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I approve. A state lawmaker wants to shine a light on how Texas spends millions of taxpayer dollars to educate the public about its controversial voter ID law. Democratic Rep. Justin Rodriguez is proposing legislation that for the first time … Continue reading →

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On those “improper” votes

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s be clear about this. Texas election officials have acknowledged that hundreds of people were allowed to bypass the state’s toughest-in-the-nation voter ID law and improperly cast ballots in the November presidential election by signing a sworn statement instead of … Continue reading →

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AG’s office sanctioned in voter registration lawsuit

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

They were warned. A federal judge has ordered sanctions against the state of Texas for blowing past deadlines and ignoring a court order to hand over thousands of pages of documents in a lawsuit challenging its voter registration practices. Texas … Continue reading →

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The people who would have been denied the opportunity to vote in 2016

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There were a lot of them. At least 16,400 Texans who voted in the November election wouldn’t have been able to cast ballots if the state’s voter identification law had been in full effect, state voting records show. […] Through … Continue reading →

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State fails to respond to voter registration lawsuit

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an update on a different voting rights lawsuit from last year. Civil rights lawyers suing Texas over its voter registration practices are asking a federal judge to sanction the state for allegedly blowing past deadlines and ignoring a court … Continue reading →

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Chris Suprun’s eventful year in voting

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

How weird is this? The self-described “voting addict” was an apparent casualty of the confusion amid legal wrangling over the state’s 2011 voter ID law. Now, [Texas Republican elector Chris] Suprun is calling for courts to clarify the rules once … Continue reading →

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Recount in HD105

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Still not decided yet. The tight Texas House District 105 race between Republican state Rep. Rodney Anderson and Democratic challenger Terry Meza is headed for a recount. Meza trails Anderson by 69 votes, according to the latest Dallas County elections … Continue reading →

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We may never know how the state did its court-ordered voter ID outreach

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We sure don’t know how the money was spent on it. On a television ad airing ahead of Election Day, Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos declares: “It’s voting season in Texas.” The 30-second spot tailored by international public relations … Continue reading →

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Voter ID problems still abound

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hardly a surprise. This much is clear after two days of early voting in Texas: Legal wrangling over the state’s voter identification law is stirring confusion at the polls. Amid Texans’ mad dash to polling places this week, the front … Continue reading →

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Statewide registrations top 15 million

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not too shabby. Texas has a record-breaking 15 million people registered to vote ahead of the November election, the Secretary of State’s office announced Thursday. Texas has 15,015,700 voters registered according to a preliminary estimate — over 777,000 more than … Continue reading →

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Stan Stanart talks election security

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have a few thoughts as well. Over the course of the presidential race, concern has grown about digitally safeguarding election results. New cyber security threats seem to emerge monthly. Republican Donald Trump has repeatedly contended the presidential election will … Continue reading →

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Voter registration way up statewide

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a lot. Nearly 15 million people are now registered to vote in Texas, a state record. Texas currently has more than 14.8 million voters registered — over 1 million more than were registered in the 2012 presidential election, according … Continue reading →

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McMullin will “appear” on the ballot

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

To the extent that a write-in candidate “appears” on the ballot, anyway. Texas voters will be able to vote for former CIA operative Evan McMullin for president in November. The Texas secretary of state’s office on Friday certified McMullin, who … Continue reading →

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State accused of misleading on voter ID education outreach

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I’m as shocked as you are. The federal government is accusing Texas of circulating “inaccurate or misleading information” to poll workers and would-be voters about relaxed identification requirements for the November elections. “Limited funds are being spent on … Continue reading →

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Texas begins its voter ID education outreach

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

For what it’s worth. Texas on Wednesday kicked off a voter education campaign ahead of the November elections amid heightened scrutiny of the state’s voter ID law. Under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and minority rights groups, … Continue reading →

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Independent candidate lawsuit update

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

There’s already been a lawsuit filed by a wannabe independent candidate for President seeking to get on the ballot in Texas, but not by that guy you might have heard of. It’s still up in the air whether Evan McMullin, … Continue reading →

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How is the state going to do its voter ID education outreach?

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

You don’t need to know. Texas will spend $2.5 million to spread the word about changes to the state’s voter ID law before the November election, but will not release details of how that money will be spent. More than … Continue reading →

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Another Voting Rights Act violation alleged

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Friday: Today, a coalition of 10 groups sent a letter to Carlos Casco, Secretary of State of Texas, requesting that his office take immediate steps to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1985 (VRA) and the Texas … Continue reading →

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Getting ready for the new voter ID universe

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a scramble. With roughly two months before early voting starts, Texas election officials are facing the difficult task of training thousands of poll workers and educating the public about court-ordered changes to a voter ID law – all while … Continue reading →

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Voter registration numbers keep increasing

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Always good news, though it’s hard to say anything definitive. County elections officials across Texas are reporting a spike in registered voters this election cycle, with one county now exceeding one million registered voters for the first time ever. Earlier … Continue reading →

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AG asked to investigate Hill County ballot irregularities

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Weird, but we’ll see. The Texas Attorney General’s office has been asked to launch an investigation into allegations that multiple people voted illegally in the 2016 Republican primary elections in Hill County, despite local officials’ claims that the discrepancies were … Continue reading →

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Two runoff recounts in the works

Posted on May 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not over yet in HD128. In a reversal, state Rep. Wayne Smith is now pursuing a recount in his narrow loss in Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff. Deer Park attorney Briscoe Cain beat Smith, a longtime incumbent from Baytown, by … Continue reading →

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Meyers’ voter ID lawsuit gets appellate hearing

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I hope he gets to keep it going. [Court of Criminal Appeals Justice Lawrence] Meyers filed his state lawsuit in October 2014, while another legal challenge to the state’s voter ID law was pending in federal court in Corpus Christi. … Continue reading →

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Reps. Green and Green want investigation of voting machine shortage

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Two Houston congressmen are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether unequal distribution of voting machines and polling locations in Harris County disenfranchised minority voters during the March 1 primary … Continue reading →

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