Tag Archives: Secretary of State

Yeah, we won’t get the CD18 election until November

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the conclusion to draw from this Trib story. Three weeks after U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death and just over a month before the state’s next uniform election, Gov. Greg Abbott has not yet called a special election to fill … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2025 | Tagged Amanda Edwards, Blake Farenthold, CD18, Christian Menefee, Congress, Election 2024, Election 2025, fundraising, Greg Abbott, Isaiah Martin, Ron Wright, Secretary of State, Sheila Jackson Lee, special election, Sylvester Turner, Texas, The Lege | 6 Comments

Yet another part of the omnibus vote suppression law struck down

Posted on March 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s taken awhile, but I can’t argue with the outcome. A federal judge in San Antonio has ruled that the state of Texas’ ID requirements for mail ballot applications are unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez on Thursday found that … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2024, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

No observers allowed here

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Tribune: Texas tells U.S. Justice Department that federal election monitors aren’t allowed in polling places. Texas’ top elections official told the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday its election monitors aren’t permitted in the state’s polling places after the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Atascosa County, Bexar County, Dallas County, Election 2024, Frio County, Harris County, Hays County, Jane Nelson, Justice Department, Palo Pinto County, SCOTUS, Secretary of State, Texas, Voting Rights Act, Waller County | 4 Comments

Once more, with feeling: There was no fraud in the 2022 election

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron provides a coda to that accursed election and all of the bullshit that followed. When Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced in August that she had found no evidence of election rigging during the 2022 midterm elections, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Clifford Tatum, District Attorney, DPS, Election 2022, election contest, elections administrator, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Kim Ogg, lawsuit, paper ballots, Secretary of State, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Rangers | Comments Off

It’s crawl-out-from-under-a-rock season

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As predictable as the end of Daylight Saving Time around here. Three Houston-area Republicans have filed a lawsuit alleging that “tens of thousands” of people should be purged from the Harris County voter roll amid a national push to cast … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, Legal matters | Tagged Ann Harris Bennett, Caroline Kane, Christian Menefee, Election 2024, Harris County, Harris County Tax Assessor, immigration, Jane Nelson, Joseph Trahan, lawsuit, Secretary of State, Steven Hotze, Texas, voter registration, voter suppression | 5 Comments

Fifth Circuit pauses vote harvesting injunction

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here they come to do what they do. A federal appeals court has temporarily reinstated portions of Texas’ 2021 voting law regulating ballot handling, ruling that a judge’s previous decision to strike certain rules came too close to the 2024 … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, Election 2024, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

More of the omnibus voter suppression bill blocked

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Better (very) late than never. Certain provisions of Texas’ sweeping 2021 voting law that restrict voter assistance violate the federal Voting Rights Act and cannot be enforced, a federal judge in Texas ruled Friday. Among the rules struck down by … Continue reading →

Vote harvesting provision of omnibus voter suppression law SB1 blocked in federal court

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Very timely, even if it took forever to get here. A federal judge ruled on Saturday that part of a Texas law that enacted new voting restrictions violated the U.S. Constitution by being too vague and restricting free speech. The ruling, made by … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | 1 Comment

Travis County files its own lawsuit over its voter registration efforts

Posted on September 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Counterpunching. Travis County officials sued Attorney General Ken Paxton and Secretary of State Jane Nelson on Tuesday over the state’s attempt to block attempts to sign up more voters ahead of a hotly contested presidential election. The new federal lawsuit … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Andy Brown, Bexar County, Civic Government Solutions, Commissioners Court, Delia Garza, Election 2024, Harris County, Jane Nelson, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Secretary of State, Texas, Travis County, Travis County Attorney, voter registration, voter suppression | 1 Comment

The current state of voter purging

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll start here, and there’s a lot to unpack. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced that the state has removed over 1 million names from the Texas voter rolls, mainly people who moved out of state or died but including … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Bexar County, Campaign Legal Center, David Whitley, Donald Trump, DPS, drivers licenses, Election 2024, Gene Wu, Greg Abbott, Harris County, immigration, Jane Nelson, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, LULAC, MALDEF, National Voter Registration Act, SCOTUS, Secretary of State, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, voter registration, voter suppression | 6 Comments

Election monitors coming

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

::rolls eyes:: The Secretary of State’s Office will again assign state inspectors to observe the handling and counting of ballots and monitor election records in Harris County, the state agency said while releasing a new audit outlining problems with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Clifford Tatum, Election 2020, Election 2022, Election 2024, elections administrator, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Secretary of State, Teneshia Hudspeth, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

RFK Jr pulls out

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

What a loser. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Friday that he is suspending his independent campaign for president and endorsed former president Donald Trump. While announcing his suspension of his campaign, Kennedy said that he is choosing to stay … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, The making of the President | Tagged Arizona, Donald Trump, Election 2024, Kamala Harris, petitions, polls, President, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Secretary of State, Texas | 7 Comments

Beware the voter registration attacks

Posted on August 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. County election departments across Texas are trying to reassure voters amid a flood of formal challenges questioning whether their registrations are valid. The challenges, filed by conservative groups and individual activists, seek … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Catherine Engelbrecht, Election 2024, Georgia, Protect Democracy, Secretary of State, Texas, True the Vote, voter registration | 1 Comment

RFK Jr qualifies for the ballot

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Whoopie. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate, will be on the Texas general election ballot this November. The Texas Secretary of State’s office announced Thursday afternoon that it had accepted Kennedy’s petition to appear on the state ballot … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, The making of the President | Tagged Donald Trump, Election 2024, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, lawsuit, petitions, polls, President, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Secretary of State, Texas | 2 Comments

Meanwhile, in Gillespie County…

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Bless their hearts. The hand count of thousands of Republican primary election ballots in Gillespie County is on track to cost taxpayers more than double the wage costs of the 2020 Republican primary, according to records obtained by Votebeat. Public … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Donald Trump, Election 2020, Election 2024, elections administrator, electronic voting machines, Gillespie County, hand counting, primaries, Republican Party, runoff, Secretary of State, Texas, voter suppression | 1 Comment

Secretaries of State and AI

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I sure hope our SOS is ready for this. A false call from a secretary of state telling poll workers they aren’t needed on Election Day. A fake video of a state election director shredding ballots before they’re counted. An … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Arizona, artificial intelligence, Brennan Center, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure and Security Agency, deepfakes, Election 2024, Jane Nelson, New Mexico, Secretary of State, Texas | Comments Off

Gillespie County hand count riddled with errors

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Oopsie. An hour after Gillespie County Republican Party Chairman Bruce Campbell declared the hand-counted primary election results completely accurate and certified them as final, he found another discrepancy. “It’s my mistake for not catching that,” he said, sitting in front … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Donald Trump, Election 2020, Election 2024, elections administrator, Gillespie County, hand counting, primaries, Republican Party, Secretary of State, Texas, voter suppression | 3 Comments

Apparently that challenge to the 2023 Constitutional amendment elections just went away

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’d been wondering about this. Legal challenges that threatened to upend Texas voter-approved property tax cuts and increases to retired teachers’ pensions appear to have been squashed by a coordinated effort between the governor, the attorney general and the secretary … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023, Legal matters | Tagged Atascosa County, Attorney General, Bexar County, Brazoria County, Constitution, constitutional amendments, Denton County, Election 2023, election contest, electronic voting machines, Greg Abbott, Jarrett Woodward, Kerr County, lawsuit, Liberty County, Llano County, Medina County, Rains County, Secretary of State, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

Someday the 2022 election will end

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Today is not that day. Tomorrow doesn’t look so good either. It’s an Election Day mishap that will sound familiar to Harris County residents. Voters in Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County temporarily were unable to cast ballots in the 2022 midterm election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged DPS, Election 2022, election contest, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Kim Ogg, lawsuit, paper ballots, Secretary of State, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Rangers | Comments Off

Gillespie County to hand count primary ballots

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some lessons need to be learned the hard way. When Gillespie County Republicans conduct their primary in March, they will count votes in an ill-advised way: by hand, using scores of volunteers, without any machines. Even if they can pull … Continue reading →

One weird trick to make those election lawsuits go away

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Worth a shot. Maybe it’ll work. State officials have apparently found a legal tactic to prevent a slew of election contest lawsuits from derailing the constitutional amendments that voters overwhelmingly approved in November. The state argued in court filings Tuesday … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023, Legal matters | Tagged Atascosa County, Bexar County, Brazoria County, Constitution, constitutional amendments, Denton County, Election 2023, election contest, electronic voting machines, Greg Abbott, Jarrett Woodward, Kerr County, lawsuit, Liberty County, Llano County, Medina County, Rains County, Secretary of State, Texas, Texas Multidistrict Litigation Panel, The Lege | Comments Off

Apparently there’s a lawsuit challenging the 2023 constitutional amendment elections

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I feel like I’m running out of synonyms for “deranged” and “absurd”. Lawsuits based on false claims about voting equipment could delay millions of dollars in cost of living increases for retired teachers expected to arrive in January. The lawsuits … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023, Legal matters | Tagged Atascosa County, Bexar County, Brazoria County, Bryan Hughes, Constitution, constitutional amendments, Denton County, Election 2023, election contest, electronic voting machines, Greg Abbott, Jarrett Woodward, Kerr County, lawsuit, Liberty County, Llano County, Medina County, Rains County, Secretary of State, Senate, Texas, The Lege | 6 Comments

Early voting starts Monday

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Are you ready? Early voting for the November 7 Joint General & Special Elections begins Monday, October 23, and ends Friday, November 3. A total of 68 voting centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged absentee ballots, early voting, Election 2022, Election 2023, fraudit, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Houston, paper ballots, Secretary of State, Teneshia Hudspeth, voting centers | 5 Comments

SOS releases 2022 Harris County election audit

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

They sure know how to time these things. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson’s office on Thursday released preliminary findings from its audit of Harris County’s November 2022 election, the latest analysis of an election that has been the subject … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged absentee ballots, Clifford Tatum, Election 2020, Election 2022, elections administrator, fraudit, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Jane Nelson, paper ballots, Secretary of State, Teneshia Hudspeth, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

City runoff election will be December 9

Posted on September 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Slightly reducing the overall intrigue factor of the season. The runoffs for Houston’s City Hall elections will be held Dec. 9, the secretary of state’s office confirmed on Tuesday. Houston voters will head to the polls Nov. 7 to elect … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Amanda Edwards, CD18, Congress, Democratic primary, Election 2023, Election 2024, filing deadline, fundraising, Houston, Isaiah Martin, John Whitmire, Karthik Soora, Mayor, Molly Cook, runoff, SD15, Secretary of State, Senate, Sheila Jackson Lee, special election, The Lege | Comments Off

The lawsuit over the omnibus voter suppression law has begun

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Settle in, this will take awhile. Two years after voting rights groups challenged Texas Republicans’ sweeping overhaul of its voting and election laws, the case comes to trial Monday in a federal court in San Antonio. The lengthy roster of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, ACLU of Texas, Americans with Disabilities Act, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Attorney General, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Dana DeBeauvoir, Disability Rights Texas, drop off boxes, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Georgia, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, Organization of Chinese Americans-Greater Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

SCOTx denies stay request in elections administrator lawsuit

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Harris County’s request for an emergency order that would have allowed the Harris County Elections Administrator’s Office to run the upcoming November election by temporarily delaying the implementation of a new state … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Christian Menefee, Clifford Tatum, Election 2023, elections administrator, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Harris County Tax Assessor, Houston, lawsuit, Paul Bettencourt, Secretary of State, Teneshia Hudspeth, Texas, The Lege | 5 Comments

Part of the omnibus voter suppression law struck down

Posted on August 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. A federal judge in San Antonio ruled this week that it is illegal for Texas elections officials to reject mail-in ballots and the applications for them over ID mistakes on elections paperwork. The requirement was part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU of Texas, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Dana DeBeauvoir, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Georgia, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act | 2 Comments

Judge temporarily blocks law abolishing Harris County Elections Administrator

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A good first step, but we’re far from finished here. The Texas Attorney General’s Office on Tuesday appealed the decision of a judge to temporarily block a new law passed by Republicans to abolish Harris County’s elections chief position. The … Continue reading →

Farewell, ERIC

Posted on July 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Into the unknown… The Texas secretary of state submitted its exit notice Thursday to a national coalition that is one of the best tools to combat voter fraud, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Votebeat. The withdrawal from the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Bryan Hughes, Election 2020, Election 2022, Election 2024, Electronic Registration Information Center, Jane Nelson, John Bucy, Secretary of State, Texas, The Lege, voter registration, voter suppression | Comments Off

Another interim AG appointed

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

All hail the latest temporary overlord. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that a longtime aide, Angela Colmenero, will serve as the second interim attorney general following Ken Paxton’s impeachment. After the House voted to impeach Paxton in May, he was … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized!, Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Angela Colmenero, Attorney General, Donald Trump, Election 2020, Election 2024, Greg Abbott, impeachment, John Scott, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Secretary of State, Senate, Texas | Comments Off

Harris County files its first lawsuit over an election bill

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Another early start, for a clear reason in this case. Harris County is headed to court to challenge a new state law that abolishes its elections office, County Attorney Christian Menefee announced Thursday. The county’s lawsuit aims to stop Senate Bill 1750 from going into … Continue reading →

What might come after ERIC

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

An interesting report from TPM. The Alan Vera Memorial Act both forces the state to leave ERIC, and also to find a replacement vendor — one that can do what ERIC does with a start-up cost of $100,000 or less, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Bryan Hughes, David Whitley, Election 2020, Election 2022, Election 2024, Electronic Registration Information Center, Jane Nelson, Secretary of State, Texas, The Lege, voter registration, voter suppression | Comments Off

Abbott names former SOS John Scott as temporary AG

Posted on June 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I honestly wasn’t sure he was going to bother with this. Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday appointed Fort Worth lawyer and former Secretary of State John Scott as interim Texas attorney general, temporarily replacing Ken Paxton, who was suspended as … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Attorney General, Brent Webster, Donald Trump, Election 2020, Greg Abbott, impeachment, John Scott, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Secretary of State, Senate, Texas | 2 Comments

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