Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted out a bold statement on Tuesday: “We don’t have voter fraud in Texas…” It was part of a longer tweet, which continued, “but we did have massive systemwide grid failure, statewide power outages, bursted water pipes, no water and high electricity bills. Um. Now I understand why some elected officials...
As a legislator, I believe that we must work to secure the right of every citizen to participate in guiding the direction of our government. When people do not have confidence in our electoral institutions—when political legitimacy is questioned—liberty is threatened. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the Texas Legislature this session to ensure that elections,...
Elections are a state matter—not a federal one. The 10th Amendment to our U.S. Constitution wisely states “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Elections fall under this, as was made even more clear...
The presidential election was close. Only 84 Electoral College votes separated the contenders. Widespread allegations of ballot fraud were claimed by national party chairmen in 11 states, with court challenges lasting into the middle of the year following the election. Changing the results in just two states would flip the election. The fraud allegations were...
It’s safe to say that no one—not the Republicans who appear to have lost the White House, nor the victorious Democrats who are still trying to explain away irregularities—is happy with the way the Nov. 3 election was conducted. This has left friends and even families divided, with no end in sight. In other words,...
To say we are confused in November 2020 is an understatement. But we have it within our power to ensure all votes are counted, even if recounts are needed. As of this writing, President Donald Trump appears to have lost his bid for re-election. In the background of that, fact checkers in the media have...
Election results in Texas and other states carry an important lesson that will impact U.S. elections for many years to come: the prediction that Democrats will benefit from the growing diversity of our population is flat-out wrong. The White percentage of the U.S. population has been shrinking for years and will continue to do so, demographers tell...
America voted. Now the results will be determined by a combination of local election officials, state officials, corrupt urban political machines, targeted mass violence, lawyers, judges, and even Congress. Added into the volatile mix will be a thoroughly partisan and untrustworthy legacy media, social media giants, and even hostile foreign powers. It is 2020, after...
For elections in these tempestuous times, we must ensure that it’s easy to vote, yet hard to cheat. We must also remember that our institutions are strong, and will endure. This year commenced with the impeachment of the President. The impeachment and trial ultimately resulted in no action, yet it served to further increase partisan...
Only a few days remain until the Nov. 3 election, and—as in many years prior—the old chestnut of “long lines” at the polling places has appeared again right on schedule. The difference this time is that many are calling any line a sign of organized “voter suppression” or the new buzzword, “systemic racism”. Viewed objectively,...
NBC News has created a useful early voting resource that tracks in-person and by-mail balloting at the state level nationwide. What it tells us doesn’t match what we’re hearing from the pollsters—who continue to insist that Texas is turning blue, or at least a little purplish. As of Oct. 29, NBC News has analyzed Texas’ early and by...
On Oct. 13, Texas polls opened for the first day of early voting and predictably, there were enthusiastic reports of record early totals. Information is good, but information without context might yield some incorrect assumptions. Only a few counties throughout the state have fully reported this year’s election in-person and mail-in voting totals, and comparisons...