TBTR STRATEGIES EXCLUSIVE REPORT: TEXAS ELECTIONS IN CRISIS!

 This report examines key trends and procedures that have shaped election integrity in Tarrant County and across Texas over the past five years. Tarrant County, once solidly Republican, has experienced erratic shifts in top-of-ballot voting patterns, with sporadic absentee voting trends seen after administrative and procedural shifts, and increased concerns about the auditability and security of the election process. Notably, despite Trump winning Texas in 2020 and 2024, absentee voting in 2020 became a key battleground, with Biden surpassing Trump in absentee votes alone in Tarrant County in the 2020 general election. This shift correlated with new laws, voting systems and procedures at the county level, yet Republicans maintained control in state and local races. However, procedural changes, such as the transition to Countywide Vote Centers and the introduction of ePoll Books, led to severe violations of state and federal ballot secrecy laws, the destruction of auditability, and the facilitation of fraud without detection. Additional issues arose with wireless transmission of results before ballots arrived, the removal of lawful ballot numbers, the exemption from voting provisional for unidentified voters, and paired with the classic “broken” chain of custody forms, destroying accountability for accurate records and totals.

Tarrant County's election procedures under the management of Heider Garcia, who oversaw the implementation of new technologies, became increasingly controversial. Garcia’s push for Countywide Vote Centers and ePoll Books, in coordination with election-related NGOs, was met with criticism for bypassing legal frameworks and undermining local elected leaders. Despite this, the county took some steps toward improving election security by reinstating pre-numbered ballots and implementing manual recount procedures. The introduction of the "Reasonable Impediment" form, which allowed voters to bypass photo ID requirements, also raised concerns about the potential for voter fraud and the integrity of the election process.

The aftermath of the 2020 election led to heightened scrutiny in the 2022 midterms, with the formation of the Tarrant County Election Integrity Task Force, the first in the Nation, made up of the County Sheriff, the District Attorney and the County Judge. However, procedural issues such as ballot design errors, ballot secrecy violations, and procedural inconsistencies persisted under their noses, undermining their ability to sort out how violations occur, further impeding public trust. The involvement of NGOs and executive branch entities in reshaping election procedures without legislative oversight exacerbated these concerns greatly across many Texas county election administrations. These NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), private organizations which target election administrators and public employees for membership, effectively becoming quasi-governmental agencies, able to effectively push for the implementation of new voting methods designed to serve their own agenda, further undermining the ability of law enforcement and state legislatures to design how elections should be conducted in their state.

In response to these challenges, Tarrant County saw a successful push back to lawful, pre-numbered ballots and a vocalized desire by Republican county leadership to find a way out of Countywide Vote Centers and return to casting ballots by precinct. Despite record turnout in the 2024 Presidential Election, which reaffirmed Republican dominance nationwide, issues with election procedures remain, including ballot secrecy violations, voter ID loopholes, lack of auditability, and widespread chain of custody issues that continue to plague the system. The Secretary of State’s 2021 Phase One Audit Progress Report did not resolve these concerns, but instead exacerbated them, leaving the concept of true auditability in question. Statewide, Texas finally exited the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) amid concerns over voter registration practices and expensive database maintenance, further highlighting the response to voter’s concerns of the facilitation of election fraud. The resignation of Heider Garcia after a tough discussion with the County Judge Tim O’Hare, and the subsequent order to restore ballot numbers, and immediate hiring of a new election administrator signaled the changing tides in Tarrant County, spawned by grassroots efforts to confront our leadership and discuss how to close loopholes in election security to restore public trust in Texas elections.

This report underscores the critical need for meaningful legislative reform in Texas election processes, focusing first on the NONDELEGATION DOCTRINE, immediately removing all rule-making authority from the Secretary of State, restoring all authority to the State Legislature over the time, place and manner of elections. Restoring auditability and ballot secrecy by eliminating Countywide Vote Centers and casting ballots by precinct once again. Adding a means of enforcement for increased compliance with legal standards, by adding a due penalty to each section of the Texas Election Code. And codifying the Sheriff as the Chief Election Code Enforcement Officer in each county, further removing state-level executive obfuscation from the Secretary of State’s office, who authorized issues reported by citizens to the Sheriff. The Secretary of State’s office cannot be allowed to investigate procedures they, themselves, authorized and implemented. The facilitation of widespread fraud without detection cannot be allowed to continue. Voter ID, Auditability, Public Access to records, Ballot Secrecy, and Registration criteria must all be enforced vigorously to ensure public trust in their ability to self-govern.

While progress has been made, the continuing influence of private NGOs and special interests, combined with the erosion of legislative oversight and the delegation of authority to the executive branch, presents a significant challenge to securing fair and transparent elections in the future.

- TBTR Strategies Team