John Scott, Texas’ top elections official, to step down at end of year

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Texas Secretary of State John Scott will step down from his function because the state’s high elections official on the finish of the 12 months.

“Once I took workplace as Texas Secretary of State in October of final 12 months, I did so with a singular purpose and mission in thoughts: to assist restore Texas voters’ confidence within the safety of our state’s elections,” Scott wrote in a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday. Scott mentioned he could be returning to personal observe.

Scott has served as interim secretary of state since final October, however he has struggled to stroll the road between reassuring the general public that the state’s elections are protected and safe and entertaining questions from some vocal critics who solid doubt on the integrity of elections. The Dallas Morning Information first reported the departure.

His announcement comes a month earlier than the beginning of the legislative session, when the Texas Senate would have thought of his everlasting appointment to the publish.

Scott oversaw 4 elections throughout his time as secretary of state. He additionally supervised an audit of the 2020 elections — which critics have falsely mentioned had outsized voter fraud resulting in President Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump — in 4 of the state’s largest counties. The primary section of the audit was launched on New Yr’s Eve 2021 and located no important proof of widespread fraud.

A information launch by Scott’s workplace mentioned he would launch the findings of the audit earlier than his departure on Dec. 31.

Disclosure: The Texas secretary of state has been a monetary supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan information group that’s funded partially by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Monetary supporters play no function within the Tribune’s journalism. Discover a full record of them right here.