SE Texas Times

If Harris County’s Democratic Party had its way, mailed-in ballots would be received through Nov. 9, an effort the state’s Republican Party is dead set against.

State leaders spoke against Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins’ request in a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott. In a letter posted on Twitter, Hollins wrote about an expected significant increase in eligible Texas voters casting their votes by mail.

“Unfortunately, news reports are replete with dire warnings about the United States Postal Service’s ability to ensure that mail ballots are timely delivered across the country. In fact, a letter from the Postmaster General to Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughes states that there is “a risk that ballots requested near the deadline under state law will not be returned by mail in time to be counted under your laws to understand them.”

Refugio County GOP Chair Jeff Steele feels the governor would set an unfair precedent should he follow through with the request.

“If approved, I think Gov. Abbott would have neglected the rules and lows established for voting procedures and set a precedent for future changes to the already set in stone procedures,” he said.

The letter came on the heels of a prior decision by the governor to extend early voting for the Nov. 3 election. Under the proclamation, the governor ruled the early voting period would begin 17 days before the election and a marked mailed ballot could be turned in to the early voting clerk’s office on Election Day.

State Chairman Allen West said enough is enough in regard to the request.

“Harris County, under the inept guidance of County Judge Lina Hidalgo, has already committed some $12 million to mail-in ballots, quite different from absentee ballots,” West said in a press release. “If the citizens of Harris County can stand in line at Walmart, Home Depot, and other places, surely they can do so on election day.

“The Republican Party of Texas asks that Gov. Abbott deny this absurd request by Harris County Clerk, Chris Hollins, and preclude the progressive socialist left from implementing their designs to undermine our democracy and election integrity.”

Steele was of the opinion Hidalgo might have had some involvement in the request since she is a Democrat and addressed whether Hollins was overstepping his authority.

“I am not sure if it's an abuse of power to request an extension but the request itself is, I believe, an attempt to manipulate the ballot count,” Steele said. “Individual responsibility dictates that you should mail in your ballot in an appropriate amount of time to meet the deadline. I see it as being no different than paying bills by mail and so forth. I think using the post office as an excuse is a scam.”