The Travis County Republican Party had insisted on limiting voting locations for the March primary, and taking ballot counting back to the 18th Century. But thanks to the staunch efforts of the Travis County Democratic Party amd county officials, we will enjoy a normal primary. However, mail-in ballots will be counted by hand. (1,2)
Travis County Republican Party officials had been pushing to count ballots by hand. A spokesperson for Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson confirmed to KUT last week that that would have eliminated countywide voting.
“We never wavered in our commitment to accessible, transparent, and accountable elections — and we won. This is a major victory for voters across Travis County,” ,” said TCDP Chair Katie Naranjo.
“Republicans made their intent clear: to erode trust in our election process, and disenfranchise voters – not just Democratic voters, but Republican voters too,” she added.
“The Democratic Party stood our ground and defended every American's most basic right – the right to vote without hardship, additional cost, or threat of unnecessary error.”
Naranjo urged those who believe in accessible and accountable elections to become poll workers for the March Primary.
While the joint primary contract up for approval today does not infringe upon Democrat’s rights to hold its own election, the process and results of the Republican Primary are still very uncertain, Naranjo said.
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