Travis County Readies Legal and Law-Enforcement Plans for the November Election, Expecting a Smooth Vote
County officials say they expect voting to proceed smoothly but are preparing for possible federal interference and other disruptions - and they are urging voters to rely on official sources for election information.
Travis County officials say they are preparing for possible disruptions to November's midterm elections, including federal actions that could interfere with voting or with the counting and certification of ballots, The Austin Focal reported on Tuesday. Local officials stressed that they expect the election to run smoothly and urged residents to take part.
“We have thought through potential scenarios and are prepared,” District Attorney José Garza said, according to The Austin Focal. Sheriff Sally Hernandez said her office recently hosted a workshop for local law enforcement on election integrity and security. “We don't anticipate issues of any kind, but we prepare for every possibility,” Hernandez said.
One concern cited in the preparations is a search warrant executed after Election Day that could result in voting equipment or records being seized before ballots are fully counted and results certified - a possibility raised by former Justice Department attorney Gary Restaino in comments to NPR, as reported by The Austin Focal. Travis County has already joined two lawsuits challenging federal actions related to elections: in August, the county clerk's office joined a case contesting an executive order directing the U.S. Postal Service to refuse to deliver mail ballots in states that did not provide certain voter information, and the county also joined a lawsuit after the administration threatened to withhold about $667,000 in counterterrorism funding unless the county adopted paper ballots and citizenship checks for voters.
The county has also processed 32,000 voter registration applications sent by the Texas Department of Public Safety in September, according to Tax Assessor-Collector Celia Israel, as reported by The Austin Focal. The applications were part of more than 500,000 registrations delayed statewide by the agency; State Sen. Nathan Johnson, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, described the situation as potentially intentional misconduct.
Garza urged Travis County residents to get election details directly from local officials. He said the county expects early voting and Election Day to be “smooth and free of interference,” and he encouraged voters to take part regardless of their political preference.
