Tag Archives: elections administrator

So what happened with election night reporting this time?

The Chron turns its attention to how long it took for election results to get posted on Tuesday night. Since last year, Harris County has purchased a new fleet of voting machines, created a new elections administration office and hired … Continue reading

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More on the Mac Walker ballot name situation

Good move by HISD. Houston ISD on Tuesday took responsibility for failing to include the nickname of a trustee candidate when it entered his name in a county elections office portal. Lee “Mac” Walker, vying for district 7, said last … Continue reading

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What’s in a ballot name, 2021 edition

This is unfortunate. A candidate for the Houston ISD Board of Education said Friday his name has been printed incorrectly on ballots and county elections officials said it is too late to change the name. Lee “Mac” Walker, running for … Continue reading

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First two lawsuits filed against the voter suppression bill

No time wasted. The top elections official in Harris County and a host of organizations that serve Texans of color and Texans with disabilities have fired the opening salvos in what’s expected to be an extensive legal battle over Texas’ … Continue reading

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Meet your new voting machines

Long time coming. Harris County’s new voting machine, which county leaders showed off on Wednesday, incorporates old and new technology the county election administrator says will make voting easier and boost public confidence in elections. The Hart InterCivic Verity Duo, … Continue reading

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Commissioners Court approves funds for new voting machines

Long awaited. Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved a $54 million deal to replace the current eSlate machines with ones featuring touch screens, a paper backup and features that make voting more accessible for seniors and residents with disabilities. The … Continue reading

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Do we still have to worry about the Elections Administrator’s office?

I’m a little hesitant to bring this up, but… This year, Harris County began the process of consolidating the two offices that have historically handled elections — the county clerk and the tax assessor-collector’s office — under one roof. Isabel … Continue reading

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Commissioners Court rejects Paxton allegation about Elections Administrator

Straight to the point. The Democrats on Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday rejected an opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in which he said they illegally created an independent elections office and hired an administrator. The move invites … Continue reading

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Interview with Isabel Longoria

Following on to my interview with Chris Hollins, today I have for you a conversation with our brand new and first-ever Election Administrator in Harris County, Isabel Longoria. Longoria is a former legislative staffer who ran for City Council in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Paxton has a tantrum about the Harris County Election Administrator

Someone is going to have to help me understand this, because I’m clearly missing something. Harris County failed to follow the Texas Election Code when it created an independent election administration office, rendering the office and the appointment of Isabel … Continue reading

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By the way, we’re still counting votes here in Texas

In case you were wondering. Harris County is still counting ballots, too, just like counties all across Texas. We’re not focused on that right now, because Texas went to President Donald Trump on election night. But more than 100 people … Continue reading

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A few words about election security

Lisa Gray talks to my friend Dan Wallach about everybody’s favorite subject. If I’m aiming to steal an election, what’s the best way to go about it? Are mail-in ballots the easiest? If your goal is to steal an election, … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Meet your new Election Administrator

Solid choice. The Harris County Elections Commission on Friday appointed Isabel Longoria as the county’s first election administrator, who will assume the voter registration and election management duties that currently fall to the county clerk and tax assessor-collector. Longoria, a … Continue reading

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Interview with Commissioner Rodney Ellis

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

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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Meet your new County Clerk

Hello, Chris Hollins. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday appointed an attorney and Texas Democratic Party official as interim county clerk. Christopher Hollins, vice finance chairman for the state party, will serve until a new clerk can be elected in … Continue reading

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

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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