The Harris County elections commissioner resigned following reports of 10,000 uncounted ballots from the nation’s first primary of the 2022 midterm elections in Texas.
QUICK FACTS:
- The Harris County elections commissioner Isabel Longoria announced her resignation effective July 1, according to The Epoch Times.
- Longoria’s resignation comes just days after there were 10,000 uncounted ballots found for last weeks’ primary election.
- While Longoria didn’t offer a reason for her resignation, she was also the subject of a lawsuit by the Texas Republican party following the discovery of the uncounted ballots.
- The Epoch Times reportedly contacted the Harris County Elections Division for comment and was awaiting an answer at the time of publishing.
LONGORIA’S STATEMENT ABOUT THE RESIGNATION:
- “Today I am submitting my resignation, effective July 1,” Isabel Longoria said in the announcement. “I think this date ensures that there is a presiding officer during the May and June elections and allows the election commission the time they need to find a replacement. I remain committed to the office and its mission and hope to aid in defeating harmful rhetoric to ensure successful elections in the future.”
- “The buck stops with me to address issues for voters and I did not meet my own standard or the standard set by commissioners,” Longoria added.
- “While the votes were scanned into our tabulation computer, they were not transferred and counted as a part of the unofficial final results as they should have been,” the Harris County Elections Office said in a statement, blaming an “oversight” for why the votes weren’t counted in the county, which is home to Houston.
BACKGROUND:
- Prior to Longoria’s announcement, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said that she spoke with the commissioner about a “change in leadership,” the judge said at a Commissioners Court meeting last week.
- There were, reportedly, other issues with the primary election, including staffing and equipment issues, in addition to longer-than-usual lines, according to local reports.