Why it matters: Harris County could tilt the balance of power in Texas.
Harris County, the state’s most populous county, has become a trusted stronghold for the Democratic Party.
The passage of the bills marks the culmination of a months-long effort by the Texas Republican Party to contend for some of that dominance. They highlighted last November’s Election Day issues in Harris County as justification for challenging results in favor of Democrats and questioned the way in which the Democratic-led district leaders administer their elections.
“Some people in the Legislature have clear intentions,” said Daniel Griffith, senior policy director for Secure Democracy USA, a nonpartisan organization focused on elections and voter outreach. is clearly acting against the Harris County election administration.
Senate Bill 1750 removes the designated election administrator position, which has only been in place in Harris County as of late 2020. If the measure becomes law with the governor’s signature, the county must turn. reverting to the previous electoral administration system, in which the county clerk and the county tax assessor-collector split responsibilities. Both positions are currently occupied by elected Democrats.
“The Legislature backs SB 1750 and SB 1933 because Harris County is not too big to fail, but too big to ignore,” said State Senator Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican and a Republican. sponsor a number of election bills, said in a statement. “Public confidence in Harris County elections must be restored.”
Another measure, Senate Bill 1070, removes Texas from the federal system to cross-check voter registration information run by a nonprofit, the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC. onion. The system has been targeted by conservatives in some states in part because it requires states that use it to also conduct voter outreach when new voters move in from out of state. The Texas bill prohibits the state from participating in any cross-checking system that requires voter access.
Another bill, House Bill 1243increased penalties for illegal voting from a misdemeanor to a felony.
The measures passed were opposed by Democratic representatives and voting rights groups. But advocates of greater access to the polls were relieved when other restrictive measures were introduced and passed in the State Senate — including one requiring voters to use their polls. their designated polling station instead of being able to vote anywhere in the county, and another project could create a system for the state to order new elections to be held under certain circumstances. certain in Harris County – failed in the Texas House of Representatives.
“Those things don’t move and that’s certainly a good thing,” Mr Griffith said.
What’s next: a lawsuit and a microscope on the upcoming elections.
The bills call for new scrutiny of elections, particularly in Harris County, where officials are expected to overhaul their system just months before key elections.
Under the new law, future complaints about the operation of Democratic-run district elections could create the possibility that the secretary of state, a former Republican state senator, could participate in and oversee elections early next year, as county. presidential vote.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the bills “create more problems than they claim to solve.”
Top Harris County officials have vowed to go to court to challenge both measures aimed at the county once the law goes into effect (September 1, if the governor signs it), meaning an election battle in The county is still far from over.
