HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A political fight has unfolded among Harris County leaders as the federal government prepares to send election monitors to Texas.
The Justice Department revealed plans Friday to send federal monitors to 86 jurisdictions in 27 states for the Nov. 5 general election. In Texas, the DOJ said it would monitor election compliance in eight counties: Harris, Waller, Atascosa, Bexar, Dallas, Frio, Hays and Palo Pinto.
On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden-Harris administration and the DOJ over their plan to deploy federal monitors.
In a press conference, the Harris County GOP also rebuked the DOJ’s plan and claimed the announcement was a “tool” for Democrats to motivate voters.
“It’s just a way that they’re trying to gin up their vote, to get people concerned and their voters out to vote,” Harris County GOP Chairwoman Cindy Siegel said. “It’s been the Democrats who have been running elections in Harris County, so it’s ironic they are calling in the DOJ to watch themselves.”
Republican Sen. Paul Bettencourt also referenced Texas’s record voter registration as a sign that Harris County’s elections were fairly run.
“We’ve got a record 18.6 million people registered voters in Texas. That doesn’t sound like voter suppression to me,” he said.
Meanwhile, local Democrats have championed the idea of federal oversight. Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said he rallied a group of more than 60 lawmakers to request the DOJ’s help, citing voter suppresser concerns.
“Texas voters, particularly minority voters, are constantly under attack for merely attempting to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” he said.
On Monday, Democrats also noted that the DOJ has monitored elections in Harris County before.
“Cycle after cycle, federal monitors have been allowed to monitor elections, it should be no different this time,” Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said.
In Texas, federal election officials are not allowed inside polling places. Last Friday, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson sent a letter to the DOJ to confirm that fact. The state, on the other hand, will deploy election inspectors to voting locations. Political parties, PACS, and candidates can also deploy their own partisan poll watchers.
In a statement, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo welcomed the federal election monitors.
“We have nothing to hide, but I know the state won’t take our word for it. Once again I request that impartial, third-party federal monitors from the Department of Justice come to Harris County so we can prove that our elections continue to be free, fair and secure,” she said.
Political experts tell KHOU 11 that nothing can stop federal election monitors from standing outside polling locations. If federal monitors try to enter polling locations, experts say it could be a test of whether state or federal law will prevail.