But who it all benefits is unclear. So it’s interesting that the Democrats want to somehow unilaterally suspend the law and put provisions in place that will allow voter fraud to thrive.”. Find a complete list of them here. Hollins created a 23-point initiative this summer to turn around a decades-long history of chronic election problems in the county of 4.8 million and avoid a drop in turnout due to the coronavirus, which disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic people. Commissioners had already approved $12 million — tripling the budget for the 2016 elections — in April to help with mail-in voting expansion as voters became increasingly concerned about catching the virus at the polls and large Texas counties joined the call to expand mail-in voting. Both in-person and mail-in turnout increased compared with 2016 figures. That lawsuit was dismissed after Abbott effectively made the change with an executive proclamation, citing his emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic. Everything you need to know to vote in Texas In 2016, the spread was even wider: Democrats cast more than 700,000 votes for president, while Republicans cast closer to 550,000. Harris County residents wait in line at the Bayland Community Center in Houston on the first day of early voting . Postal Service. Read more Tribune stories here. I think people are looking at the system and they are complaining about the issues, like health care, education and navigating a pandemic.”. But there are signs it might be trending more blue as some suburban voters have soured on Trump and the Republican Party. Paxton and others have insisted in court filings, as have GOP state lawmakers who have supported other measures limiting voters’ options, that their efforts are not partisan but rather in the interest of election integrity. A spokesperson at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office referred questions to his previous statements and court filings. Show us with your support. Election Outlook: Secretary Hughs Encourages Texans To Vote Early, Make Preparations … As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. “To the extent that the law is what it is, you’ve got to follow it,” he said. In 2016, Harris County … “He's thinking outside the box, and maybe that's what this kind of work needed.". Greg Abbott, said after issuing a recent proclamation aimed at Harris and Travis counties that forced them to shut down multiple drop-off locations for absentee ballots. In 2018, Republican Ted Cruz defeated Democrat Beto O’Rourke by a narrower 8-point margin. Reasons to Smile: McKinney students share heartfelt message to teachers, One person killed in crash on Central Expressway, Dallas police say, People get up early, brave morning rain to vote, Severe flooding prompts evacuations in Cambodia, Few fans, masked umps, muted celebrations for World Series, ‘A living hell’: Jerry LeVias, first Black scholarship athlete at SMU, describes treatment on football field, Justice Department to file landmark antitrust case against Google, Yom Kippur Zoom reunites Holocaust survivors 71 years later, More than 100,000 cast their ballot in person in Harris County on Day 2, More than 128,000 ballots cast in person on the first day of early voting in Harris County, many lawsuits Republican leaders and activists filed, How to check wait times at Houston, Harris County in-person voting locations, Harris County early voting locations: Where and when to vote, 'Frivolous and ridiculous' | Appeals court dismisses Texas GOP drive-thru voting lawsuit, 10 drive-thru voting sites give Harris County voters a safer option for casting ballots, forced them to shut down multiple drop-off locations, even as they encourage their own voters to use them. In the first few days of early voting in Texas, Harris County and Denton County are breaking records. But by the time the county’s effort began picking up steam, the political power struggle had already moved to the courts. Previously he covered Congress for the Boston Globe and Detroit Free-Press. “As Texas goes, so too will the rest of the country. We discuss that and some legal battles and glitches affecting voting … Officials authorized 12 locations for voters to hand-deliver their mail-in ballots. Here in Harris County, more than 100,000 ballots cast on each of the first four days. Jayne Howell, chairman of the Denton County Republican Party, said voters with previous GOP and Democratic primary voting histories are turning out in similar amounts. “We can flip the White House. 3 on Hollins' list for improving access was to “promote and maximize vote-by-mail within the bounds of the law.”. He and his clients oppose all election-law changes — particularly those pushed by the Harris County Clerk’s Office and ordered by Abbott — that fall outside the scope of the Texas Legislature, which is majority Republican. Harris County can and will lead the way into a bright new future where everyone has the chance to prosper.”. Here’s why. Stevens said the county’s efforts, even though some have been thwarted, will make a difference in turnout for this year’s election. “It’s no longer important for who wins Harris because that’s over.”. “We’ve provided more voter access than ever before, from drive-thru voting to tripling the number of early voting locations. “So we’re excited to see that unfold.”. Texas surpassed 1 million votes on first day of early voting, Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer. Originally from San Antonio, he attended the University of North Texas and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri. The county’s Democratic party sees this year’s early voting turnout as a continuation of the left’s inroads into suburban Texas. Do you value our journalism? In 2016, it voted in favor of Trump by a 20 percentage point margin. Woodfill has filed a dozen petitions and lawsuits related to government action on the pandemic and the elections since May. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. “The number of Democratic votes that come out of Harris County is very important for who wins the state,” said Austin attorney and public-interest advocate Fred Lewis, who helped organize voter drives in Harris County after President Barack Obama won the county in 2008. Harris County also saw a jump in turnout. drive-thru voting was implemented in 10 locations. “If you look at [election results] for Harris County, you see a very clear trend,” Hollins said.
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