Attorney General Ken Paxton reassured voters late Saturday that his office and the Secretary of State were investigating Dallas County’s voting machines and that “significant progress toward resolving all outstanding issues” had been made, despite claims to the contrary.
Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Allen West had claimed that four voting system components—the Central Accumulator, DS200 scanners, Activation Card Printer, and the ExpressLink Software—“are illegal or were illegally certified by the Texas SOS that, as of now, will be used in Dallas County’s November election.” If true, this would affect not just Dallas County but all 140 counties using ES&S equipment.
However, Paxton said the DCRP’s press release was “premature and contains several inaccuracies.”
Paxton’s post added, “Although the DCRP’s press release suggests otherwise, the truth is that all parties involved have made significant progress toward resolving all outstanding issues.”
West’s claims resulted from a failed September 18 Logic and Accuracy (L&A) test.
Christine Welborn, president of Advancing Integrity, explained that “The Logic and Accuracy Test is a dress rehearsal for the election that is conducted in front of the public. Sample ballots are pre-marked and ‘voters’ use those ballots to make their selections on a sample size of voting machines. Every ballot style and every race on the ballot is involved in the test. At the end of the test, the result is checked against the expected outcome to ensure everything is programmed correctly.”
The following day, September 19, the Dallas County Elections Department (DCED) conducted a successful L&A test. Appointees of Dallas County’s Republican and Democrat parties signed the certification.
On September 20, the DCED held another public verification L&A test without issue.
This all happened before the Dallas GOP’s October 1 press release, in which West stated, “It is imperative that, at the second Logic & Accuracy Test, the Elections Department personnel provide proof that they have removed the corrupted components from Dallas County’s elections, following emergency orders from Secretary of State Jane Nelson, to do so.”
In response, DCED then held yet another L&A test on October 8 with representatives from the OAG, SOS, DCRP, and Dallas County Democrat Party. The test lasted 13 hours and again found no issues.
Paxton’s post concluded, “My office has been working around the clock to uphold the integrity of Texas elections. There is nothing more important than protecting every legal vote from election fraud or interference. I want to be crystal clear that my authority over many of these listed points is limited and not to the scope that DCRP would like for it to be. Anything I can legally do to protect your vote, you have my full assurance I will do. Safe and secure elections is my absolute top priority.”
Welborn warned election integrity advocates’ recklessness can negatively impact elections.
Election integrity advocates must use caution before making allegations. We have to pick our battles. If we make five claims and even one is found faulty, we will be discredited for all of them. We must also direct our concerns at those who are truly accountable. Don’t accuse or berate your election official for something that was decided by the Secretary of State. Don’t reprimand the Secretary of State for something the Texas Legislature failed to do. Most importantly, don’t instill fear and incite chaos right before an election unless it is truly justified and can be corrected.
Early voting begins today, October 21, and continues through November 1. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.
