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Texas lawmakers working to ensure Harris County voters aren’t turned away due to ballot shortages
During the 2022 midterm election, Harris County was the only Texas jurisdiction plagued by major delays and ballot shortages. Republicans in Austin have declared the irregularities unacceptable and implementing harsh measures as insurance against a repeated debacle.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - The Texas Senate has approved a potent response to the deeply problematic Harris County midterm - an election during which scores of polling places suffered shortages of ballot paper triggering allegations of voter suppression.
"A plan, that I think had to be deliberate, denied ballot paper, and stopped countless people from voting on election day," said State Senator Mayes Middleton.
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Middleton's Senate Bill 1993 authorizes the Texas Secretary of State to call a new election if 2% or more of the total precincts run out of usable ballots during voting hours.
"This bill provides a remedy for systemic ballot paper denial in Harris County and simply insures there is enough ballot paper for voters," said Middleton of the measure, which is exclusive to the state's most populous county.
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Senate Democrats in the minority offered push back, suggesting the Senator Middleton's measure is hyper-partisan and overkill.
"Instead of making it statewide right now, we are just going to pick on my county, little old Harris County, right? Kind of like all the other election bills that come through here," said State Senator Borris Miles, a Houston Democrat.
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"It only happened in Harris County," said Middleton.
SB 1993 will now move to the Texas House for consideration.