Tag Archives: Harris County Clerk

The County Clerk’s plan for the runoff

Things should be back to normal, and those of us who have to know the final results before we go to bed will get a little more sleep. Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman on Tuesday said poll workers will drive … Continue reading

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So what happened with the election returns?

The County Clerk puts the blame on the Secretary of State. Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman said a last-minute directive from the secretary of state caused significant delays in reporting election results on Tuesday evening. Trautman said an Oct. 23 … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

2019 election results: Houston and Metro

Unfortunately, we have to start with this: Results of Tuesday’s election could take until 2 a.m. Wednesday after the Texas Secretary of State issued a new regulation that upended plans by the Harris County Clerk’s Office to speed vote counting. … Continue reading

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Today is Election Day

From the inbox: Election Day is November 5th and thanks to countywide voting, more than 2.3 million eligible voters in Harris County may cast their ballots at the voting center of their choice. A total of 757 polling locations throughout … Continue reading

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A wrapup for early voting

Here’s the Chron story on the end of early voting. Early voting ended Friday with a late surge in turnout among Harris County voters, surpassing voter participation in some prior mayoral election years but falling short of totals seen during … Continue reading

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Day Five 2019 EV totals: Steady as she goes

There are two Monday through Friday periods in Early Voting, and we just finished the first of them. Let’s check in on the numbers. Year Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 2019 44,244 6,790 51,043 26,105 2015 48,027 21,141 69,168 42,938 … Continue reading

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Day Three 2019 EV totals: It’s still early

Sorry I skipped yesterday’s EV totals. I’m going to try to do this every day but that’s easier said than done. Let’s pick it up from here. Year Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 2019 26,206 6,050 32,256 22,142 2015 27,596 … Continue reading

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Early voting for the November 2019 election starts today

From the inbox. Early Voting Starts Today Monday, October 21 to Friday, November 1 Voting is so much more convenient this year, and you can experience that starting at 7AM on October 21, when Early Voting starts. To find a … Continue reading

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Sorry, Willie D

I think you need better lawyers, dude. William Dennis, the former Geto Boys rapper known as “Willie D,” is planning to a host a campaign fundraiser Friday for his City Council bid, but election officials say voters won’t be able … Continue reading

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Voting centers everywhere

In Dallas: Starting in November, problems like Mr. Voter’s, at least in Dallas County, will be a thing of the past. Tuesday afternoon, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office officially gave the county permission to participate in the countywide voting … Continue reading

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Boosting student turnout at UT

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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More ways to improve access to voting

In Harris County: Inmates of the Harris County Jail may soon be able to vote. Harris County leaders have approved a study on setting up a polling location at the jail as early as this November. The County Clerk’s and … Continue reading

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Early voting locations coming to UH and TSU

Nice. Students at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University will be able to cast ballots on campus in this November’s general election, the Harris County Clerk’s office announced Monday. For the first time, the two schools will host … Continue reading

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Harris County gets official approval for voting centers

Full steam ahead. Harris County on Monday received permission to use voting centers, which enable voters to cast ballots at any location they choose, in high-turnout elections, County Clerk Diane Trautman announced. Under this system, voters are not required to … Continue reading

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The main concern about voting centers

This Trib story, which is about the implementation of voting centers in multiple counties across Texas for the 2020 election, delves into one of the main concern about them: Voting centers can change from one election to the next, which … Continue reading

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July 2019 campaign finance reports: Harris County

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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Harris County goes shopping for new voting machines

It’s time. Harris County formally has begun searching for a new voting machine model with the aim of debuting the devices in a 2021 election, County Clerk Diane Trautman announced Tuesday. Speaking at the International Association of Government Officials trade … Continue reading

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A preview of the joint primary

Like Campos and John Coby, I recently had the opportunity to visit the Harris County Clerk and get a preview of the proposed joint primary. Coby describes it in some detail, with pictures, so I won’t duplicate his effort. Basically, … Continue reading

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Joint primaries

Another potential change to how we vote is in the works. Harris County primary voters could see a big change at the polls in 2020 if local party leaders agree on a new proposal. Under the current system, voters go … Continue reading

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Moving ahead with voting centers

The first time was a success, so we’re going to keep using them. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted unanimously to apply for state approval to expand the use of countywide polling places to general elections. County Clerk Diane … Continue reading

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First test drive of Harris County voting centers

Overall I thought things went well for the Saturday election – final results were all in by 9 PM or so – but Campos observed a few issues. Commentary is all for the voting centers on Election Day. If my … Continue reading

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Today is May Election Day

From the inbox: Harris County Kicks Off First Election With Countywide Polling Place Program Houston, TX– Saturday, May 4, 2019, is Election Day for approximately 708,000 eligible voters in Harris County.  This election is the first since being approved for a … Continue reading

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Meet the new marriage license

Time for a change. A sketched portrait of a bride and groom has been nixed from Harris County-issued marriage licenses to make the records more inclusive to “all unions, backgrounds and faiths,” according to clerk officials. The ornate image of … Continue reading

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Early voting for the May elections has begun

From the inbox: Early Voting for the May 4, 2019 Joint Election starts Monday, April 22 and ends on Tuesday, April 30. During that period, Harris County voters may vote at any of the 25 Early Voting locations designated throughout … Continue reading

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Harris County settles ADA voting rights lawsuit

Chalk up another accomplishment for our new county overlords. The U.S. Department of Justice will monitor Harris County elections, at county expense, for up to four years under the settlement of a federal lawsuit over inadequate access to polling places … Continue reading

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Vote centers approved for Harris County

From the inbox: Today, Texas Secretary of State David Whitley approved Harris County as one of six Texas counties with a population of more than 100,000 to participate in the Countywide Polling Place Program. With over 2 million registered voters, … Continue reading

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Today is Runoff Day in HD145

From the Inbox: Tuesday, March 5, 2019, is Election Day for voters in Texas State Representative District 145. There will be 27 Voting Locations open from 7 am to 7 pm. Voters may visit the County Clerk’s election page, www.harrisvotes.com … Continue reading

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January 2019 campaign finance reports: Harris County

One last set of finance reports I want to look at, from Harris County officials. I’m dividing them into a few groups: Lina Hidalgo, County Judge Diane Trautman, County Clerk Dylan Osborne, County Treasurer Marilyn Burgess, District Clerk Kim Ogg, … Continue reading

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Vote centers advance

The other big story from Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting. Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman’s plan to shift to countywide voting centers inched forward this week when Commissioners Court unanimously agreed to file an application with the secretary of state asking … Continue reading

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Today is Election Day in HD145

From the inbox: Today is Election Day for approximately 71,000 registered voters in Texas State Representative District 145. All polling locations for the Special Election to Fill a Vacancy will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. District 145 … Continue reading

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Early voting begins Monday for HD145 special election

From the inbox: First week Early Voting hours for the January 29, 2019 Special Election To Fill A Vacancy For State Representative District 145 will now be extended from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Extended voting hours will now give … Continue reading

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Now we talk about vote centers

Good. New Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman on Tuesday [proposed] to Commissioners Court a non-precinct based countywide polling system, where voters can cast ballots at the locations most convenient to them. “Life gets in the way; you’ve got to pick … Continue reading

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Precinct analysis: The county candidates

Let’s just dive right in and have a look at the countywide candidates, shall we? Dist Emmett Hidalgo Gatlin Under Emmett% Hidalgo% Gatlin% ============================================================== CD02 150,630 103,625 5,842 5,005 57.91% 39.84% 2.25% CD07 135,016 100,412 4,967 4,819 56.16% 41.77% 2.07% … Continue reading

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Trying again with online voter registration

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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