Harris County Voting Concerns Surface on Super Tuesday
Harris County's District Attorney, Kim Ogg, expresses concerns over voting procedures in the county following an incident where she was denied access to the polls due to a previously cast ballot.
Kim Ogg, the Democratic district attorney in Harris County, Texas, encountered an issue with voting procedures when she was unable to cast her ballot on Tuesday morning. She was turned away because someone had already voted using her name.
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth explained in a statement posted on X that Ogg's life partner, who shares the same address, had mistakenly voted on Ogg's behalf during early voting the previous week.
Ogg, whose name is on Tuesday’s primary ballot, was able to vote successfully later that day. However, she expressed concerns to CNN about how the incident occurred, if other voters in the same household have been affected by similar mistakes, and if local election officials have a system in place to track and prevent such errors.
Ogg and her partner, Olivia Jordan, do not have the same last name, which required both of them to present identification when casting their votes.
“I'm the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in the third-largest jurisdiction in the country,” Ogg mentioned during our phone conversation. “If it happened to me as the district attorney, it could happen to anyone.”
In this September 2020 photo, a Harris County election worker prepares mail-in ballots to be sent to voters in Houston.
In this September 2020 photo, a Harris County election worker prepares mail-in ballots to be sent to voters in Houston.
David J. Phillip/AP
Related article
Houston-area elections office dismantled as contentious Texas law takes effect
An official in the Harris County clerk’s office confirmed that the issue has been resolved and mentioned that there will be no additional statements provided.
The incident occurred in Harris County, which is known for being a Democratic stronghold and includes the city of Houston. Recently, the county has been closely monitored by Republican state officials. Just last year, the county’s election office was restructured, with its duties being transferred to the county clerk and county tax assessor-collector as per a law passed by the GOP-controlled state Legislature. Additionally, another law granted the state the authority to implement “administrative oversight” over the county’s election administration in cases of recurring issues.
In a social media statement discussing the incident, Democrat Hudspeth explained that during the voter check-in process, each voter is asked to verify the information on the iPad screen, including their name. If the information is incorrect, the voter is instructed to alert the election clerk.
Hudspeth also mentioned that Jordan may not have realized the information was incorrect when she signed in with her own name.
Election integrity is crucial, especially in the midst of a competitive primary. Ogg emphasized the responsibility of election officials in safeguarding the voting process.
She highlighted the importance of election judges and poll workers in preventing voter fraud. According to Ogg, verifying IDs against the voter and the rolls is a key task of the clerk. She expressed surprise when this responsibility was shifted back to the voter.
"My partner wasn't attempting fraud," Ogg explained. "She simply wanted to cast her vote."
Ogg shared that she dedicated over an hour at the polling place on Tuesday morning to address the problem before successfully voting at noon after the issue was fixed.
Editor's P/S:
The incident involving Kim Ogg, the district attorney of Harris County, Texas, highlights the potential for errors in voting procedures and raises concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. Despite presenting identification, Ogg was initially denied the ability to vote due to a mix-up involving her partner voting in her name during early voting. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the system in place to track and prevent such mistakes.
Furthermore, the restructuring of Harris County's election office under a GOP-controlled state legislature, along with the state's authority to implement "administrative oversight," raises concerns about potential political influence in election administration. The incident underscores the importance of ensuring fair and transparent voting procedures, particularly during competitive primaries, and the responsibility of election officials in safeguarding the integrity of the voting process.
