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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 county’s elections in 2021 and 2022.

The audit, released late Friday, found that in those years, Harris County election officials did not follow state-mandated rules related to voter registration list maintenance; failed to adequately train election workers, which led to problems at the polls; and violated the law when it failed to estimate and issue the required ballot paper at some polling locations.

Harris County failed to adequately train election workers on how to properly set up and operate the voting system, the audit found, which “may have impacted the high percentage of equipment malfunctions” in the November 2021 constitutional amendment election. The county then did not adequately address these training issues prior to the March 2022 primary, the state said.

Former Harris County Elections Administrator Clifford Tatum did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the audit’s findings. Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, who took over running elections last September after state lawmakers passed a law eliminating the election administrator position in the state’s most populous county, said in a statement that her office “will continue to ensure that the concerns that plagued the now-defunct Elections Administrator’s Office are not revisited.”

In the audit report, the Secretary of State’s Office said current Harris County election officials, who didn’t oversee the elections included in the audit, have worked to address the problems and correct the county’s procedures.

Other counties audited for the 2021-22 election cycle included Cameron, Eastland and Guadalupe. The report says election officials in those counties have improved recordkeeping, chain of custody procedures and election worker training.

The House Elections Committee is set to discuss the audit’s findings and the management of voter registration data in the state on Monday.

Last fall, a preliminary report of an audit specifically about Harris County’s November 2022 election found the county had different numbers of registered voters than the state, and different numbers of absentee ballots sent out, though it didn’t detail the causes of the discrepancies or suggest they influenced the election outcome. That report also said the county ​​failed to adequately train election workers and failed to supply some polling locations with enough ballot paper.

The final audit released Friday echoed the findings in the earlier report.

Audits began after the 2020 presidential election

The state began auditing counties after the 2020 presidential election, in response to baseless claims of voter fraud. The audits aim to examine counties’ election procedures and evaluate whether election laws are being properly followed.

Harris County is dominated by Democrats and often the focus of election conspiracy theories. It’s been audited twice so far. The first time was in 2021, when the Secretary of State’s Office ordered a “full forensic audit” of the state’s two largest Democratic counties — Harris and Dallas — and the two largest Republican counties — Collin and Tarrant. That same year, lawmakers passed a sweeping overhaul of voting laws that included a provision requiring the Texas secretary of state to conduct an audit of four randomly selected counties’ elections.

In 2022, officials with the agency drew four county names out of a bucket — and Harris came up again.

Although the audit has found no evidence of widespread fraud in any of the counties reviewed, auditors have twice flagged problems in Harris. The audit report covering the 2020 election said the county had improper chain of custody procedures at some of its polling locations, and discrepancies in electronic poll book data.

Last week, during an annual training of election officials from across the state, Secretary of State Jane Nelson conducted the drawing of the four counties to be audited for the 2023-24 election cycle: Brazoria, Bell, Val Verde and Real.

No evidence of fraud, but other problems with elections surface

As for Harris, the heavily Democratic county’s handling of elections has made it a target for years. The problems with the 2022 election prompted Texas Republican lawmakers to pass a law that abolished the elections administrator position in Harris County. The county challenged the law in court, and lost. Last fall, election administration duties were transferred to the county clerk, and voter registration duties are now the responsibility of the tax assessor-collector’s office.

Those problems also prompted 21 losing Republican candidates to go to court seeking a redo of the November election. A judge did order a new election in response to a challenge of a single judicial race. He found that more than 1,000 votes in Harris should not have been counted because, in most cases, there were deficiencies with two types of forms that some voters have to fill out at the polls.

Three candidates dropped their lawsuits, and a judge, dismissing the remaining challenges, said that, although the county did make errors, there was not enough evidence to order a new election.

Last week, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said an investigation by the Texas Rangers found no evidence of fraud in the November 2022 election. One former county elections department employee now faces charges for theft and tampering with government documents. Ogg said investigators found the employee, whose responsibility at the elections department was distributing supplies, improperly worked two full-time jobs during the election.

‘Put a process in place’

Hudspeth has presided over multiple county-wide and municipal elections, including a primary and a runoff election, since taking over last September. Although a storm left at least a dozen locations without power during the primary runoff election in May, voting wasn’t disrupted.

Speaking on a panel at the annual training for election officials hosted by the Secretary of State’s Office in Austin earlier this month, Hudspeth said her office has created a compliance team made up of roughly four people familiar with every step of the election process and responsible for properly documenting it. After each election, that team also digitizes election records and labels them to be used for auditing purposes or during election challenges, if necessary.

“It makes it easier for us to identify when the audit comes, what we need to pull together,” Hudspeth told hundreds of Texas election officials who gathered at the event. “Not every audit is exactly the same. It doesn’t always look the same. It isn’t always the same exact information, but what we have learned over time, is to put a process in place.”

Natalia Contreras covers election administration and voting access for Votebeat in partnership with The Texas Tribune. Contact Natalia at ncontreras@votebeat.org

TribFest Keynotes Announced!

Be there when Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin take the keynote stage at The Texas Tribune Festival! Whitmer will talk with Texas Tribune co-founder Evan Smith about her memoir, her key victories in Michigan and the importance of every vote. Youngkin and Smith will close out TribFest with a conversation about his record, the state of his party and a conservative policy agenda for America. Explore the full program of 300+ speakers and 100+ events.

Get tickets today.

– New Reliant Student Experience Office made possible by $3 million endowed gift –

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, August 23, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As Aggies descended upon campus for the start of a new school year, the new Reliant Student Experience Office was unveiled this week at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School. Made possible by a $3 million endowed gift from Reliant through the Texas A&M Foundation, the space is designed to support all Mays students throughout their college experience, from recruitment to development.

“Collaborating with a corporate partner so singularly focused on student success has been a joy,” said Dean Nate Sharp, Mays Business School. “The company summarizes their commitment to their customers with the statement ‘Our goal is your happiness.’ You can see why Reliant’s name on the Mays Student Experience Office was a perfect fit.”

The Reliant Student Experience Office will provide high-impact learning experiences in four key areas: recruitment, academic success, leadership development and career development. It will serve as a place where every Mays undergraduate student can enrich their on-campus experience with programs including the Freshman Business Initiative, Business Honors program and Fellows program. The office will serve as the central hub for student success and engage closely with the Mays Career Center, Undergraduate Advising Office and the Center for International Business.

This renewed partnership with Reliant also aligns with Mays’ vision of building a better future through business as well as its goal of becoming the nation’s preeminent public business school at a time of tremendous change.

“Texas A&M University and the Mays Business School are instrumental in developing our state’s future leaders, which is why we’re thrilled about the Reliant Student Experience Office and the impact it will have on every single Mays undergraduate student,” said Rasesh Patel, president, NRG Consumer. “This space will enrich the student journey, providing experiences that deepen their learning, engagement and sense of belonging. We’re excited about the opportunity to welcome new and existing students and introduce them to Reliant at such a formative time in their lives.”

To commemorate the new Reliant Student Experience Office, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Thursday, August 22. Rasesh Patel represented Reliant and was accompanied by John Morris, senior vice president for development of the Texas A&M Foundation; Dr. Nate Sharp, dean of the Mays Business School; and several Mays leaders who played a crucial role in the partnership.

Story continues

In addition, Reliant will also actively engage with Mays students through the business school’s programs and offer real-world educational experiences, including serving as a guest speaker for a SPARK business class and hosting student site visits to Reliant’s Houston headquarters.

To learn more about the program, visit: https://mays.tamu.edu/undergraduate/reliant-student-experience-office/.

###

About Reliant, an NRG company

Reliant makes power personal – that’s why homes and businesses trust Reliant not only as a provider of electricity, but also as a pillar of support in the communities we serve. From a best-in-class app to breakthrough innovations, Reliant is recognized nationally for outstanding customer service and as the leader in the evolving energy space with offerings that span from EV solutions to solar insights to smart home experiences. As part of NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 500 energy and home services company, our purpose is to power a brighter future together, one that is safe, smart and sustainable. For more information about Reliant, visit reliant.com and connect with Reliant on Facebook at facebook.com/reliantenergy and X or Instagram @reliantenergy. PUCT Certificate #10007.

About Texas A&M Mays Business School

At Mays Business School, our vision is to build a better future through business. By providing leadership-centered, experiential education to more than 6,400 undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and supply chain management, Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools for its programs and faculty research. Our mission is to develop leaders of character who make a positive difference in the communities where they live, work, and serve.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240823616361/en/

Contacts

Brooke Perry, Texas A&M Mays Business School
214-236-5405
bperry@mays.tamu.edu

Megan Talley, Reliant
713-537-2160
Megan.Talley@reliant.com

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In 2022, Michelle Serrano and her South Texas nonprofit helped get the word out about a progressive Democratic candidate trying to win the vacant congressional district in her area of the Rio Grande Valley.

That candidate, Michelle Vallejo, hosted community events at her family’s flea market decrying what she called the “hyper-militarization” of the border due to an increased presence of law enforcement and the construction of a border wall.

But Serrano said she didn’t recognize Vallejo last week in her first major political ad of this new election cycle where she stood shoulder to shoulder with law enforcement officials criticizing the “chaos at the border” and saying it was “time to get serious” about fixing the issue.

“Everybody has this idea that Michelle was pro-immigrant and pro-community and instead we’re getting … pro-police,” Serrano said. “It’s totally against what people expected. That’s why the anger is there.”

Serrano isn’t the only one who feels betrayed. Vallejo’s social media channels are filled with angry posts from people accusing her of pandering to Republicans with her new ad. Some are threatening not to vote for her if she doesn’t pull it down.

Vallejo, who is running against U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg, again this November says her messaging has been consistent on border security and legal pathways for unauthorized immigrants to become citizens: she wants both.

“I have always advocated to make sure we have the resources we need to make sure our border region is safe and secure and to make sure our families have the opportunity to live their American Dream,” Vallejo said in an interview. “We can both recognize there’s a problem in border security and immigration but we can and must treat people with dignity.”

She said she plans to listen to all constituents – Democrats, Republicans and independents – and work on border solutions even if that means working across party lines. She supports the policies laid out in the U.S. Senate’s Bipartisan Border agreement earlier this year, which fizzled after House Republicans refused to consider it. That bill would have put more Border Patrol agents on the ground and expanded capacity in detention facilities, as well as provided more resources for immigration courts to process asylum seekers more quickly.

That legislation reflects the reality and complexity of the issues facing border communities, she said, while criticizing her opponent for not advocating for its passage.

While the border ad surprised some of her past Democratic supporters, it wasn’t exactly a pivot in her politics as she was similarly centrist on the border in her 2022 campaign.

In that election, she echoed border policies that other South Texas Democrats like McAllen Rep. Vicente Gonzalez and Laredo Rep. Henry Cuellar have advocated for years. She supported funding to update the ports of entry and for Border Patrol agents facing low-morale, in a recognition that many of her constituents are employed by the federal agency.

But to her critics, there’s a clear change in tone.

“It’s a clear shift in messaging,” Serrano said. “I don’t believe for a second that this is what she always believed. Had that been the case, I don’t think so many people would have put in so many volunteer hours and the show of support [from last cycle].”

Meanwhile, De La Cruz’s campaign called Vallejo’s latest border ad a “disingenuous about-face.”

“It’s no surprise that even her own allies recognize her dishonesty, and that Democrats no longer take her campaign seriously,” Andrew Baughman, De La Cruz’s campaign manager said in a statement. “Our community has rejected her before and will do so again because South Texans know Congresswoman De La Cruz is doing a great job fighting for a strong border and a thriving economy.”

The Republican incumbent says she is the true border security candidate and touts her support for Border Patrol agents and border infrastructure – including a wall – and has called for the return of Trump-era immigration policies like the “Remain in Mexico” policy that forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their asylum applications were processed.

Congressional District 15, which stretches from the Rio Grande Valley to Seguin, northeast of San Antonio, is one of the few competitive congressional districts in Texas. Sometimes mockingly called the “fajita strip” because of its shape, the district was redrawn in 2021, taking out reliably Democratic voters and replacing them with rural conservative voters in the northern part of the district.

Under the old district lines, voters in 2020 favored President Joe Biden over Republican Donald Trump by 2 percentage points. Under the new district, voters in the district would have preferred Trump by 3 points.

Those changes helped boost De La Cruz to Congress in 2022, after the district’s former representative, Gonzalez, ran in the neighboring and more favorable Congressional District 34 and opened up a vacancy.

De La Cruz defeated Vallejo by 8 percentage points in their first face-off and the Cook Political Report rates the competition this year as likely favoring Republicans.

Those election results may explain why Vallejo is trying to tackle immigration head-on, said Alvaro Corral, a political science professor at the University of Texas at the Rio Grande Valley.

“Her and her campaign are probably trying to shore up some support in the northern part of her district,” he said. “You might not win those but losing by less margins in the northern parts of CD-15 would probably be their game plan.”

Corral said the ad seemed like a “sensible” approach to border security and immigration especially given their importance to voters, who consistently rank those issues as the first or second most important in Texas voter surveys.

Corral noted that the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Dallas Rep. Colin Allred, is also emphasizing his bipartisan approach to border security and running ads with law enforcement praising how “tough” he would be on the border.

The Democratic messaging is a calculated risk, said Jeronimo Cortina, a political science professor at the University of Houston. Vallejo may anger some of her more progressive and young supporters but appeal to independent and moderate Republicans who have higher patterns of voting.

“The strategy here is you need to have a coalition that has core supporters but also need to have some people from the middle,” Cortina said. “That’s how you have to build that coalition and fight for those true independents who may be issue voters.”

That approach appeals to voters in the district like George Ramon, who identifies as an independent and has supported Democrats as well as Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the past. He will be voting for Vallejo in November.

“I’ve always said that the immigration system is broke and in order to fix it, it’s going to require bipartisan support,” he said. “It’s going to require a sensible approach. You can’t just be security only. Can’t be Democrat or Republican. It’s gotta be a bipartisan issue.”

Many of Vallejo’s supporters were drawn to her because of her progressive values. During her first campaign, she ran on “Medicare for All” and was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

For those voters, the ad was off base.

“It sounded like a Republican ad,” said Amanda Elise Salas, a political activist in the Rio Grande Valley. “It shocked me because she had a very different stance on border security.”

Salas said Vallejo not only hosted events against border militarization at her business but also participated in them and was seen as an ally to those activists.

“That’s the reason why it’s so jarring to them,” she said. “Because people saw her and her space as a place to talk and show resistance to the militarization of the area.”

De La Cruz’s campaign highlighted Vallejo’s participation in an arts festival where participants held signs with the message “FUCK ICE,” short for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. They also flagged her consulting work for Trucha, a progressive multimedia platform, which has previously called for defunding ICE and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration.

They also knock her for past comments Vallejo has made about being “afraid” to go to a local park near the Rio Grande for Easter celebrations because there are too many border agents on patrol.

But Vallejo is getting reinforcement from some high-profile supporters, like U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a progressive Democrat from El Paso.

“I, like Michelle, live in a more realistic world, a more pragmatic world where we have to compromise in order to ensure we can achieve most of our goals,” she said. “Michelle, like me, believes that one of the best ways to secure the border is through legal pathways and that the best way to reach that is to compromise with Republicans in order to end the status quo.”

Escobar said fellow Democrats should not hold out for someone promising to deliver everything they want because that is not realistic. They have to work within the confines of the two-party system, which Vallejo is promising to do. And importantly for Democrats, Escobar said, replacing De La Cruz with Vallejo could help the party win back the U.S. House, which would drastically change the immigration conversation.

“We have to look at this issue through a lens of wanting to get to a solution,” she said.

Vallejo said the border ad is only the start of her messaging to voters and she wants them to look at her entire policy platform which includes improved access to affordable health care and bringing high-paying jobs to the district when they make a decision between her and De La Cruz.

“I knew there was a need for our community to have a representative who will fight for the things that we are experiencing and the things we need in South Texas,” she said. “I’m working really hard to make sure our community knows that I’m the champion our community needs to get the resources we have for far too long been lacking.”

TribFest Keynotes Announced! Be there when Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin take the keynote stage at The Texas Tribune Festival! Whitmer will talk with Texas Tribune co-founder Evan Smith about her memoir, her key victories in Michigan and the importance of every vote. Youngkin and Smith will close out TribFest with a conversation about his record, the state of his party and a conservative policy agenda for America. Explore the full program of 300+ speakers and 100+ events. Get tickets today.