Investigators Find Election Ballot Paper Shortage Far Bigger Than Estimated: ‘May Necessitate New Elections’

The paper deficit at many Harris County polling stations on Election Day was more serious than previously reported, according to a new report.

According to KHOU-TV, 121 polling locations initially lacked sufficient paper to accommodate the voter turnout at their locations.

The county’s Elections Administration Office had earlier assessed the number as being between 46 and 68 voting places.

The county’s post-election review document admitted that its investigation “has not yet revealed how many of these VCs had to turn voters away due to a paper shortage,” using the abbreviation VC for “voting center.”

On Twitter, Governor Greg Abbott emphasized the gravity of the discovery.

“Harris Co. election ballot paper shortage far bigger than initially estimated. It’s so big it may have altered the outcome of elections. It may necessitate new elections. It WILL necessitate new LAWS that prevent Harris Co. from ever doing this again,” he tweeted.

Harris Co. election ballot paper shortage far bigger than initially estimated.

It’s so big it may have altered the outcome of elections.

It may necessitate new elections.

It WILL necessitate new LAWS that prevent Harris Co. from ever doing this again.https://t.co/Bc3YE3ix5E

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 1, 2023

KHOU discovered that the county provided sufficient paper for 600 voters at numerous polling locations. In fact, a study of its equipment projects in the county’s own post-election review showed that the county predicted a turnout of 600 voters at the vast majority of its polling stations.

Some polling sites recorded as much as 400 more votes than anticipated, defying the predictions.

A county representative stated that the past was utilized as a guide for allocating paper.

However, KHOU revealed that 52 polling booths received less paper in 2022 than their 2018 turnout. In the fall of 2016, each of the three voting centers where more than 1,000 ballots were cast at each site received enough ballot paper for 600 voters.

Remember election day when some Harris County voting centers ran out of ballot paper? @HarrisVotes could never determine the extent of the shortage. So we did our own analysis and found 121 locations did not get enough paper when the polls opened. More at 6 @KHOU pic.twitter.com/O4MnQzTquT

— Jeremy Rogalski (@JRogalskiKHOU) January 30, 2023

“It was worse than what we even knew. And there’s no excuse, in my mind,” County Republican Chair Cindy Siegel said.

“I mean, it’s mismanagement at best. We as Harris County voters deserve better,” she said.

According to the county’s post-election evaluation document, 160 technicians were despatched countywide to fix any problems.

More on this story via The Western Journal:

The report said that the county’s “call logs reflect that the Help Desk received calls from 46 VCs (5.9%) requesting additional paper on Election Day. This does not indicate that these VCs ran out of paper and had turn voters away as a result – only that they required additional paper at some point on Election Day.”CONTINUE READING…