This browser does not support the Video element.
HOUSTON - A petition to extend the voting period for Houston's District C runoff election was rejected in court on Friday, an attorney confirmed with FOX 26.
Request to extend District C election
The backstory:
The petition listed several Houston leaders as dependents, including Mayor John Whitmire, Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, and all members of the city council.
Records pointed out that the official voting period for the District C runoff election is this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Petitioners said the hours conflict with the Jewish holiday Shabbat. From sundown on Friday until nearly 9 p.m. Saturday, according to the lawsuit, members of the Jewish faith will not be allowed to drive or use electronics.
Because of that, the petition asked for at least five more hours to vote on Sunday. Records stated that the extra hours would've been available for all eligible district C voters.
Houston City Council District C runoff election: Polling locations, candidates
Voters will decide Saturday who will fill the vacant Houston City Council seat in District C as the special election heads for a runoff between Joe Panzarella and Nick Hellyar.
Petition rejected
What they're saying:
The following statement was shared by attorney George Hittner:
"I regret to inform you that we did not prevail in our request today to extend voting hours to accommodate exercise of religion. Unfortunately, the County Attorney and County Clerk fought hard against giving our clients their chance to cast a ballot beyond what they were MINIMALLY required to do under the law. To be clear, they could have agreed to a solution, and the Judge encouraged them to do so, but they refused.
I was proud of the fact that Former Harris County Democratic Chairman Gerry Birnberg and Former Harris County Republican Party Chairman Gary Polland joined our legal effort on the SAME SIDE. Our legal team made a valiant effort on a short time frame. Unfortunately, there is no appeal from a TRO. So, I encourage each of you to reach out to the County Attorney and County Clerk to express your disappointment over their decision to fight against the accommodations we were requesting, much less engage in a real effort to find a solution. Moreover, I encourage you to make a plan to get our non-Orthodox District C residents to the polls on Saturday.
This needs to be a wake up call for our community. If we put people in office who are not willing to fight for us, we should not expect that they will. GO VOTE.
The real battle is on Election Day. Let’s let our voices be heard, LOUD AND CLEAR."
‘Jewish Community Alert’
This browser does not support the Video element.
CAIR endorsement for Houston council candidate sparks outrage from Jewish leaders
Days ahead of the runoff election for the District C seat in Houston's City Council, local Jewish leaders are showing support for one candidate after the other was endorsed by a group labeled a terrorist organization in Texas. FOX 26's Greg Groogan spoke to leaders about the endorsement.
Dig deeper:
The petition was one of the latest efforts from Houston's Jewish community regarding the District C election.
Community leaders had a two-page ad created against candidate Joe Panzarella for allegedly seeking endorsement of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a group Governor Greg Abbott has labeled a front for "foreign terrorist organizations."
The ads accused Panzarella of "proudly embracing" the endorsement of a group the Jewish leaders claim traffics in "antisemitic hate" and maintains ties to actual terrorist groups.
The Source: Harris County court documents, attorney George Hittner, and previous FOX 26 reporting.