All Entries for Texas
Foreign Hackers Cripple Texas County’s Email System, Raising Election Security Concerns
The malware attack, which sent fake email replies to voters and businesses, spotlights an overlooked vulnerability in counties that don’t follow best practices for computer security.
Judge Orders Polling Locations in Texas County Remain Open
A state district judge ordered Harris County to operate nine polling locations until 8 p.m., an hour after they were scheduled to close. The polling sites experienced issues with technology or were delayed in opening Tuesday morning.
Houston Poll Worker Hurls Racist Remarks, Faces Criminal Charge
A poll worker in Houston, Texas, was relieved of her duties and escorted from the polling location after hurling racist comments and bumping into a voter. She now faces a criminal assault charge.
Texas County Faces Long Lines, Technical Difficulties as Voting Begins
Voters in Harris County are seeing long lines at multiple polling locations because of problems with check-in technology and voting machines.
Texas via Univision News
Latina Is Asked “Are You Sure You Are a U.S. Citizen?” at Texas Polling Place
The voter, in Bee Cave, Texas, says poll workers did not ask the question of others. The Texas secretary of state’s office says poll workers are not instructed to ask about citizenship status. (The following article is in Spanish.)
Dallas Voters Report Intimidation Outside Polling Locations
Following up on tips received by Electionland, The Dallas Morning News reported on the fierce, often confrontational, and entirely legal electioneering — which some voters described as intimidating — taking place outside some polling locations in the region.
Image of Bloody Fetus Sent to Beto O’Rourke Supporters
Some residents in Garland, Texas, say they received a postcard featuring an image of a bloody fetus. They have at least one thing in common: yard signs supporting Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke. It is unclear who sent the postcards.
Korean Translators Barred From Texas Polling Place
Volunteer Korean translators hoping to help voters understand their ballots say an election judge in one Harris County precinct told them to stand outside the 100-foot electioneering line. According to the county, voters who need a translator must bring their own — volunteers offering their services inside polling places are “simply not allowed.”
How Texans Can Avoid “Vote Flipping”
The Texas secretary of state’s office has warned that some voters who use Hart eSlate voting machines — in place in more than 80 counties — have reported seeing their choices flip to the other party’s candidate for Senate when they try to cast a straight ticket. The company says it’s user error. The Texas Tribune explains how voters can be sure their ballot is cast as intended.
Reports of Voter Intimidation at Polling Places in Texas
Tempers are flaring during early voting in Dallas County, Texas, and reports of voter intimidation are on the rise. The county’s nonpartisan election administrator said that the harassment — including name-calling and interrogating voters waiting in line — is the worst she’s seen in decades.
“I’ve been here for 30 years, and this harassment that’s going on, I haven’t ever seen the likes of this,” said Toni Pippins-Poole, the county’s election director. “I’ve seen some other things, props being used and whatnot, but nothing like this type of mentality or aggressiveness or demeaning type of actions.”
Texas County Reverses Ban on Liberal T-Shirts
Following coverage from Electionland partner the Houston Chronicle, the Harris County Clerk’s Office reversed instructions singling out voters who were wearing T-shirts promoting three progressive groups and stopping them from entering polling places.
Democratic Mailer in Texas Referred to Attorney General’s Office
The Texas secretary of state’s office has asked the state’s attorney general to investigate a mailer sent by the state’s Democratic Party this year that critics say could entice noncitizens to register to vote.
The mailer, sent out in late September and early October, included a voter registration form for the recipient to fill out. Though most of the form was left blank, a checkbox indicating that the person filling out the form was a U.S. citizen was pre-checked.
