A Harris County election staffer runs a report on a ballot scanning machine after it came in to the Harris County Election Technology Center Wednesday, March 2, 2022 in Houston.
Regarding “Harris County finally releases election results after denied GOP petition stopped vote counts,” (March 3): In engineering project circles, there is a philosophy that the customer always wants: faster, cheaper, and “better” results. But, the reality is that one always has to give. This theory applies to Harris County’s new voting machines which are “better” (i.e. selected to provide a paper backup compared with the previous system). The trade-off, upon rollout, was a more time-consuming procedure for counting.
And, just like the new carrier envelope design (more time needed to screen and cure mail-ins), poll workers and elections staff across the state will be going up the learning curve one election at a time. I would prefer that government officials support them in their efforts and promote the sharing of best practices rather than calling them “incompetent.”
A more constructive approach would be to evaluate the processes by which paper ballots are handled and damaged prior to machine-feeding. Similarly, a new carrier envelope design should come with clear, illustrated instructions. Harris County’s experience will help Texas avoid similar problems multiplied by 253. We should understand that changes always come with consequences and budget resources (including extra time) accordingly.
I want Cindy Siegel to walk a mile in Isabel Longoria’s shoes. And then speak up.
I (a 65-plus-year-old with no dementia or even mental slowness) listened carefully to the voting instructions yet still found the process bizarre, confusing, extra time-taking…unreasonable and unnecessary!
Whoever dreamed up these new rules is overtly sinister. Greg Abbott and our state legislators?
What a Rube Goldberg setup. Took at least twice as long to vote. If you want the preliminary votes fast, do it digitally as in the past. The carefully go through the wrinkled paper for the final.
And though my wife and I voted by mail the last election cycle, we did not even attempt it this time after comparing the front and back of the application and seeing inconsistencies.
Regarding “Grieder: The biggest loser in Harris County’s botched election night count may be voter confidence,” (March 2): As a polling location judge, I can tell you the main problem is the amount of people that step up to work the polling locations. The location on Hwy 6 did not have any Democrats there to process their voters. When the polls close, it takes about 1.5 hours to pack up and close out the voting machines. Then wait in line for an hour or so to deliver the ballots and reports. So, it has more to do with having enough people to process the closing, delivering and counting of the votes than any B.S. you hear.
As a Republican presiding judge, I had reserved the voting location just after the November election, just in case the county failed to do so. The elections department listed the location in publications, but did not actually call me to ask that the location be shared with the Democrats until a month before the election.
They can repeatedly waste our time, and they are relentlessly disorganized.
On election day, we had 9 ballot-generating machines, and one scanner. We fought constantly with ballots stuck in the device. Most we could save, although 20 sheets were fouled by the printers out of 297 votes cast. Every machine had at least one instance where the paper jammed. On the Democrat side, they had numerous paper jams, but they barely had 100 votes cast. The technician who visited said problems were worse at other location, and that he was unable to get through to the help line.
No one seems to have kept track of the tens upon tens of millions of federal, state and local tax dollars that the county has squandered on “elections” in the past three years, let alone be willing to admit to the voters of the creation of another METRO-like boondoggle.
Regarding “40% fewer mail ballots cast in Texas early voting amid confusion, delays caused by new law,” (Feb. 27): Guess where the designated line for adding your all-important ID to your mail-in ballot is located? Yep! It’s under the flap of the outside mailing envelope. As hidden as possible! That’s why many attempts, including ours, to vote by mail end up badly. We just spent over an hour at our local voting precinct canceling our mail-in ballots in order to vote in person. Both of us, with six advanced degrees between us, had failed to notice this obscure location for an ID number before sealing and signing the outer envelope. Then it was too late.
Cynthia and Burr Furlong, Houston
Regarding “Editorial: Voters hit pause on Paxton and Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian. We’ll take it.” (March 2): While I tend to side more with Democrats on issues, I voted in the Republican primary. Let’s face it, Texas is a red state and turning it blue will be difficult. So, if our leaders do end up being Republican, can we at least have ethical Republicans with integrity? Surely there are qualified Republican candidates to support instead of Ken Paxton, Wayne Christian, Dan Patrick, and Sid Miller. And there are. Or rather I should say there were. Dan Patrick and Sid Miller won their primaries. To Texas Republicans, you have a chance to choose better with the Attorney General and Railroad Commissioner on the May 24 runoff. Please do your research.
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