[ Public Comment Period for Agenda Items. The Commissioners Court will conduct a Public Comment Period to allow members of the public, who have properly submitted a Public Participation Form, to address the Commissioners Court regarding specific Agenda Items that are on the Commissioners Court’s Agenda. During such Public Comment Period, speakers shall be limited to a maximum of three (3) minutes to make his or her remarks regarding an Agenda Item. Each member of the public who appears before the Commissioners Court to address the Commissioners Court regarding more than one (1) Agenda Item on the Commissioners Court’s Agenda shall be limited to a cumulative maximum of five (5) minutes to make his or her remarks for all such Agenda Items. The maximum overall discussion time allowed for an Agenda Item, regardless of the number of members of the public wishing to address the Court on such Agenda Item, shall be limited to thirty (30) minutes. Speaking time, to the extent possible, will be evenly allocated among speakers should more than ten (10) speakers desire to speak on the same Agenda Item. In matters of exceptional interest, the Commissioners Court may, by majority vote, lengthen the maximum overall public discussion time allowed on a particular Agenda Item. The Presiding Officer of the Commissioners Court reserves the right to conduct public comment regarding an Agenda Item at the time in which the item is called for the Commissioners Court’s consideration as opposed to including such public comments during this Public Comment Period.] [00:34:08] >> I WAS TRYING TO VOTE EARLY AND I WAS TOLD BY THE ELECTION [00:34:11] CLERK THAT I HAD A CHOICE TO VOTE ON THE REPUBLICAN FEDERAL [00:34:17] BALLOT. AND I'M LIKE, LET'S PICK THAT [00:34:21] ONE. NOW THERE'S ONLY TWO RACES ON [00:34:24] IT. THAT IS DISENFRANCHISEMENT. [00:34:28] THAT CLERK WAS VERY CONFIDENT IN HER INSTRUCTIONS SHE'D BEEN [00:34:33] GIVEN. IF SHE WAS GIVEN THE WRONG INFORMATION, THAT COULD BE A SECOND DEGREE FELONY, WHY DID THAT CLERK AND STRUCK ME THAT I HAD A CHOICE TO VOTE? THAT WAS WRONG. NUMBER 2. I BELIEVE IT WAS AN ATTEMPT, THERE IS NO REASON THIS FEDERAL BALLOT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES. NO REASON AT ALL. OF GOD SEVERAL OTHER ONES TO SHARE WITH YOU WHERE THE CAMERAS WENT OFF OVER AND OVER AGAIN. [00:35:10] >> TIME IS UP. >> THANK YOU. >> AND THANKS FOR YOUR WRITTEN TESTIMONY. NEXT WE HAVE CLARK MEYER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS. THANKS FOR BEING HERE TO HEAR ALL OF US. I'M CLARK MEYER AND I SERVED AS AN ELECTION DAY JUDGE IN THE PRIMARY. I WANT TO SAY HATS OFF TO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT FOLKS. THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL IN ANSWERING THE PHONE, SOLVING PROBLEMS, BRINGING STUFF, SENDING PEOPLE. THERE ARE SOME GO-GETTERS AND WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. MY SITE, FORTUNATELY, DID NOT GET BACKED UP. I HAD A SITE IN LIBERTY HILL WITH NOT A LOT OF WAITING, BUT THE HORROR STORIES STARTED COMING IN FROM VOTERS THAT THEY HAD ALREADY WAITED IN ANOTHER LINE BEFORE COMING TO SEE US. THIS WAS ABOUT 50% OF THE FOLKS THAT CAME IN MENTIONING THEY'D ALREADY BEEN TO ANOTHER PLACE. SOME OF THEM HAD BEEN TO TWO OTHER PLACES. AND BLESS THEIR HEART, ONE PERSON HAD BEEN TO FOUR PLACES. IT WAS AMAZING. THERE WERE OTHER FOLKS THAT WERE AT THE WRONG LOCATION. WE HELPED THEM SCAN THE QR CODE, LOOK UP THEIR PRECINCT ON THEIR PHONE. WE HAD LOCATIONS FOR BOTH PARTIES TO HELP GET THEM ON THEIR WAY. THAT PROCESS TOOK LONGER THAN CHECKING IN A VOTER NORMALLY. SOME OF THOSE FOLKS SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M NOT VOTING. I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS TO GO WHEREVER YOU ARE TRYING TO SEND ME. I'VE GOT MY LUNCH BREAK, MY KID PICKUP, DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. THEY JUST SAID SORRY, I'M NOT VOTING. I WAS EMBARRASSED TO BE PART OF SUCH A FIASCO THAT MADE NATIONAL NEWS. THOSE VOTERS DON'T DISTINGUISH THE DETAILS BETWEEN THIS WAS A PRIMARY THAT HAD THESE RULES OR THIS WAS GENERAL. IT WAS JUST THE ELECTIONS GOT SCREWED UP. >> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. JOANNE? I THINK WE'VE GOT YOUR WRITTEN LETTER AS WELL. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JOANN. I AM A REPUBLICAN PRECINCT CHAIR WITHIN SUN CITY. I WILL RELATE MY EXPERIENCE, BUT I'D LIKE TO PREFACE THIS SAYING THAT SOMETIMES GOOD INTENT DOES NOT LEND ITSELF TO A GOOD RESULT. WITH THAT SAID, WHAT HAPPENED TO ME AS FAR AS MY PRECINCT, I WAS SENT AN EMAIL VERIFYING AND CONFIRMING THAT MY PRECINCT WOULD BE ON ELECTION DAY VOTING AT THE OAKS. VOLUNTEERS AND MYSELF KNOCKED ON 600 DOORS TELLING EVERYBODY, DON'T WORRY, YOU CAN STILL VOTE WITHIN SUN CITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH PHYSICAL PROBLEMS. A FEW DAYS LATER, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL STATING THEY WOULD NOW BE GOING TO FLORENCE, TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER 20 MINUTES AWAY. FORTUNATELY, I HAVE THE EMAILS FOR ALMOST ALL OF MY VOTERS, SO I EMAILED THEM AS WELL AS ANNOUNCING IT AT SEVERAL EVENTS. OLDER FOLKS DON'T GO THROUGH THEIR EMAIL VERY OFTEN, AS WAS FOUND OUT AT THE OAKS WHEN THE JUDGE CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY, THE ELECTION JUDGE, AND SAID, I APOLOGIZE, BECAUSE OVER 200 OF YOUR VOTERS WE HAD TO TURN AWAY. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT I CAME FROM A COUNTY, WILSON COUNTY, WITH A POPULATION MUCH LESS AND PRECINCT VOTING WORKED FABULOUSLY. AS FAR AS DISENFRANCHISING AND COMPROMISING, THE ONES THAT REALLY GOT DISENFRANCHISED WERE THE REPUBLICANS AND THE CANDIDATES. I'VE NOT HEARD ONE PERSON, ONE LEADER SAY "I AM SO SORRY THIS HAPPENED." [00:40:04] THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. DAVID NIELSEN. >> THANK YOU. MY NAME IS DAVID NIELSEN. I'VE BEEN AN ELECTIONS CLERK AND ELECTION JUDGE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. I WAS ONE OF THE JUDGES AT SUN CITY DURING THE ELECTION. AND ALSO THE FORMER FIELD SUPERVISOR AND MY ROLE I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR RECRUITING AND TRAINING WORKERS AND ALSO IDENTIFYING AND SECURING POLLING LOCATIONS. ON ELECTION NIGHT I WORKED AT CENTRAL COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE. I WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE MUCH OF THE BEHIND THE SCENES WORK DONE BY THE ELECTION DEPARTMENT TEAM AND HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE WORK THEY DID TO MAKE THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION. I WORKED FROM 4:00 P.M. ELECTION DAY UNTIL ABOUT 5:00 A.M. THE NEXT MORNING, BUT THE STAFF WORKED FAR LONGER, 24-36 HOURS LONG STOP -- NONSTOP. THEY WORKED THESE LONG HOURS BECAUSE THEY ARE PROFESSIONALS. FOR PART OF ELECTION NIGHT IT WAS IN THE LOBBY. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO MANY PEOPLE THEY BROUGHT IN. SOME PEOPLE WE TALKED WITH MADE COMMENTS LIKE, THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I'M NOT DOING THIS AGAIN. THIS MAY SEEM LIKE THIS ELECTION WAS JUST A ONE-TIME PROBLEM, BUT THE EFFECTS WILL BE LONG- LONG-LASTING. THE CHAOS DIRECTLY AFFECTED POLLING WORKERS AND KNOW THEY ARE CONSIDERING WHETHER THEY WANT TO CONTINUE BEING POLL WORKERS. I TALKED TO ONE WHO SAID "I'M NOT DOING IT ANYMORE." I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO RECRUIT POLL WORKERS IN THIS CHAOS MADE FUTURE ELECTIONS THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO STAFF. POLLING LOCATIONS WILL BE AFFECTED. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND POLLING LOCATIONS. THE CHAOS, CONFUSION, AND CROWDS THIS ELECTION CAUSED WILL MAKE LOCATIONS CLOSE THEIR DOORS TO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT. IT WILL NOW BE HARDER TO SECURE LOCATIONS FOR FUTURE ELECTIONS. THE DEPARTMENT BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE WORKERS ON LOCATIONS. THIS ELECTION HAS DAMAGED THOSE RELATIONS. >> THANK YOU, DAVID. JEAN PELOSI. >> I'M A DEMOCRATIC PRECINCT CHAIR IN AUSTEN. THE MYTH OF MASS VOTER FRAUD HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOLS FOR MODERN VOTER SUPPRESSION. DECADES OF AUDITS BY NONPARTISAN GROUPS HAVE SHOWN FRAUD AT THE BALLOT BOX IS VIRTUALLY NONEXISTENT, YET THIS FALSE NARRATIVE CONTINUES TO BE PROMOTED NOT TO PROTECT VOTER INTEGRITY, BUT TO CONTROL WHO IS ABLE VOTE. TERMS LIKE BALLOT SECURITY AND VOTER INTEGRITY ARE NOW USED TO JUSTIFY AGGRESSIVE MONITORING AND UNNECESSARY VOTER ROLL PURGES DESPITE A LACK OF EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THESE ACTIONS. THIS ISSUE REFLECTS DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO VOTING. ONE POLITICAL PARTY VIEWS VOTING AS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT THAT SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERY QUALIFIED VOTER, WHEREAS THE OTHER POLITICAL PARTY IS WORKING TO CREATE BARRIERS AND MAKE VOTER PARTICIPATION MORE DIFFICULT. TEXAS IS ALREADY ONE OF THE HARDEST STATES IN WHICH TO VOTE. INSTEAD OF ADDING OBSTACLES, ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD BE WORKING TO MAKE REGISTRATION AND VOTING MORE ACCESSIBLE. THE CONTINUED FOCUS ON UNFOUNDED CLAIMS ONLY DISTRACTS FROM REAL SOLUTIONS AND UNDERMINES PUBLIC TRUST. CHANGES DRIVEN BY THESE LEAD TO CONFUSION, LONG LINES, AND FRUSTRATION INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY ON PRIMARY ELECTION DAY. THE DATA ARE CLEAR. OUT OF MORE THAN 25 MILLION BALLOTS CAST NATIONWIDE, ONLY A TINY FRACTION, LIKE 1/100TH OF A PERCENT, WERE IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIALLY FRAUDULENT AND THE NUMBER WAS EVEN SMALLER IN FIXES. IN NO WAY DID THESE NUMBERS JUSTIFY WHAT'S IN PLACE HERE IN DISENFRANCHISING ELIGIBLE VO VOTERS. ELECTED OFFICIALS SERVE ALL CONSTITUENTS, NOT JUST THOSE WHO VOTED FOR THEM. I BELIEVE YOUR FOCUS SHOULD BE ON STRENGTHENING PARTICIPATION IN OUR DEMOCRACY, NOT CHASING PROBLEMS THAT DON'T EXIST. SYSTEMS LIKE ELECTRONIC VOTING... >> YOUR TIME IS UP. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [00:45:07] NEXT WE HAVE HOLY OR TO -- JOSE OR TALK. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU FOR OPENING THIS SPECIAL SESSION. FOR THREE YEARS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S INTEGRITY COMMITTEE HAS COME TO THIS COURT TO SPREAD MISINFORMATION, MISS TRUTH, AND DISINFORMATION ABOUT THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT. THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE SOWN DISTRUST IN OUR ELECTIONS. THEY HAVE UNDERMINED OUR ELECTION ADMINISTRATION OFFICE AND ARE DISCOURAGING VOTERS FROM EXERCISING THE RIGHT TO VOTE. THEY CLAIM OUR ELECTIONS ARE FRAUDULENT. THEY HAVE LAUNCHED INVESTIGATIONS ON LAWSUITS. THEY ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO CONVINCE THOUSANDS OF OUR CITIZENS THAT THE SYSTEM IS RAKED. THIS GROUP INJECTED CHAOS INTO OUR ELECTION PROCESS ON MARCH 3RD. NOW THEY ARE DEMANDING OUR CURRENT ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE MISTAKES OF THEIR OWN MAKING. AND THIS COMMISSIONERS COURT, ALL FIVE OF YOU, BENT OVER BACKWARDS TO APPEASE, ACQUIESCE, AND CAPITULATE TO THESE MISCREANTS. I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE ANYTHING THEY SAY TO YOU NOW WITH SOME SKEPTICISM, DOUBT, AND A LOT OF CAUTION. WILLIAMSON COUNTY IS THE 12 MOST POPULOUS COUNTY IN THE STATE. WE NEED TO HAVE A KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PROFESSIONAL ELECTION STAFF. I ASK YOU, I BEG YOU TO SUPPORT THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT. THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE TRAINED AND KNOW HOW TO CREATE CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IN THE VOTING PROCESS. THEY ARE VITAL FOR DEMOCRACY TO EXIST. A PROFESSIONAL ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT UPHOLDS THE RESULTS OF THOSE BALLOTS, REGARDLESS OF THE PARTY OR THEIR IDEOLOGY. I SUPPORT THIS ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL TOO. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. NEXT IS BARBARA. DID I PRONOUNCE CORRECTLY? >> SINCE I MOVED 12 YEARS AGO I WORKED WITH THE POLES AND HAVE WORKED INSIDE THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT MOSTLY FOR THE BALLOT BOARD. NO MATTER WHO THE ADMINISTRATOR, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE I AM THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED WITH THE PROFESSIONALISM, POLITENESS, AND ADHERENCE TO THE LAW TO ENSURE ELECTIONS ARE RUN AS SMOOTHLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. HUMANS CAN MAKE MISTAKES, BUT CONSIDERING HOW EVERYTHING IS CHECKED AND RECHECKED COUNTLESS TIMES, IT IS A VERY CAPABLE DEPARTMENT. BRIDGET ESCOBEDO HAS ALL MY RESPECT. TO WORK SO HARD AND BE SO DISRESPECTED IS DIFFICULT. BUT SHE STILL SMILES AND THANKS US, AND SHE'S A GREAT ASSET TO THIS COUNTY. REGARDING THE FIASCO OF THE LAST ELECTION, THIS WAS JUST PLAIN VOTER SUPPRESSION. BLAMING THE WRONG PEOPLE FOR THAT SHOWS LACK OF INTEGRITY AND HONESTY FROM THOSE WHO WANT TO CAUSE CHAOS. MY EXPERIENCE WAS NOT AS HORRIBLE AS MANY OTHERS, BUT EXPERIENCED POLL WORKERS ON THE LOCATION WAS A GOOD ONE. WE HAD TO REDIRECT ABOUT 15 PEOPLE WHO WERE VERY ANGRY. ONE MAN WENT TO FIVE PLACES BEFORE HE COULD VOTE. MOST PREFERRED THE MACHINES. PHONE NUMBERS FOR THE PARTY CHAIRS WERE MADE AVAILABLE. I SUSPECT THIS LAST ELECTION WILL COST FEWER PEOPLE TO WORK THEM. ONE FRIEND HAD WORKED HER FIRST TIME OVER 20 HOURS. IT WAS RATHER TRAUMATIC AND SHE WAS NOT ALONE. OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS I'VE SEEN A FEW PEOPLE COME TO OBSERVE. THEY WERE TAKING COPIOUS NOTES AND SOME OF IT JUST MEANT NOTHING. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE IMPRESSED WITH THE SECURITY. I SUSPECT THOSE PEOPLE ENJOY CAUSING TROUBLE FOR THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT AND DON'T APPRECIATE HOW SECURE IT IS, BUT HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDA. I THINK THEY ARE JUST BUSYBODIES. >> THANK YOU, BARBARA. NEXT WE HAVE ROBIN. >> I'M FROM TAYLOR ALSO. I CAN'T ADD A WHOLE LOT MORE TO WHAT I'VE ALREADY HEARD EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I'VE BEEN IN [00:50:08] THIS STATE FOR 11 YEARS, AND I CAME TO THIS STATE AS A REPUBLICAN, A FIFTH-GENERATION DIEHARD REPUBLICAN. SIX MONTHS IN I SAID, OH, NO. I HAVE FOUGHT EVER SINCE THEN. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE OUT OF STATORS, BUT SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN JOBS TAKE YOU SOMEPLACE. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHY THEY CAN DO THINGS LIKE REMOVING ALL BUT ONE VOTING DROP BOX IN THE LARGEST COUNTY IN THE STATE, CHANGING VOTER REGISTRATION REGULATIONS MULTIPLE TIMES, MID DECADE REDISTRICTING CHANGES TO MINIMIZE DEMOCRAT VOTING OPPORTUNITIES, THEN STRICT LAST-MINUTE LOCATION CHANGES TO CONFUSE VOTERS INTO BEING SO FRUSTRATED THAT THEY CAN'T OR WON'T VOTE. THEY CLAIM IT'S PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTIONS. THE ONLY THING IT'S PROTECTING IS THE REAL PROBLEM WHICH IS NOT INTEGRITY, ITS LIES. THE LIES OF WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING SINCE 2020 AND HOW IT CONTINUES TO KEEP MANIFESTING THROUGH THE CURRENT POLITICIANS IN THIS STATE AND THIS COUNTRY. THIS STATE HAS THE MOST BLATANT AND CONSTITUTIONALLY ILLEGAL POLITICS IN THE COUNTRY. REMOVING ALL THE VOTING MACHINES IN ONE DISTRICT WAS THE TOPPER. HOW ABOUT TAKING OUT MAILBOXES SO THEY COULDN'T MELEE AND VO VOTES. THIS WHOLE SCENARIO IS AN EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING ONE AND I'M GLAD TO NOT BE PART OF MY PREVIOUS CROP -- PARTY. THANK YOU. >> OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AUDREY. >> WE PRONOUNCE IT LIKE MCGEE. >> OKAY. , TECHNOLOGY. OKAY. WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS MADE NATIONAL NEWS DURING OUR PRIMARY ELECTION, NOT FOR ANYTHING POSITIVE BUT FOR THE DISASTER SIMPLY BECAUSE OF PRECINCT LEVEL VOTING REQUIREMENTS. A SENSELESS REQUIREMENT UNDER THE DISGUISE OF VOTER INTEGRITY. PART OF THE PROBLEMS WERE CAUSED BY THE RACIALLY MOTIVATED REDISTRICTING INSTITUTED IN OUR STATE. I.D. CARDS WERE NOT MAILED OUT IN TIME FOR MANY PEOPLE TO KNOW THE PRECINCT HAD CHANGED. VOTERS WERE ACCUSTOMED AND WEREN'T AWARE OF THE STUPID CHANGE. THAT CHANGE HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH VOTER INTEGRITY, BUT VOTER SUPPRESSION, AND IT BACKFIRED. THIS COLOSSAL MESS FOLLOWS INTO THE LAP OF MICHELLE EVANS, IN ADDITION TO THAT MAJOR MESS UP, MANY VOTERS WERE EITHER STEERED AWAY FROM USING VOTING MACHINES BY STATING THEY WERE UNRELIABLE WHICH IS A BALD-FACED LIE. USING VOTING INTEGRITY IS A REASON FOR PRECINCT LEVEL VOTING IS A LOT OF. IN 2025, THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOUND 15 INSTANCES OF NON-U.S. CITIZENS VOTING IN THE 2024 ELECTION OUT OF 5.7 MILLION BALLOTS CAST. ANOTHER SWING STATE, GEORGIA, IDENTIFIED JUST 29 CITIZENS WHO REGISTER TO VOTE. 8.2 MILLION REGISTERED VOTES. WHY AM I NOT PROVIDING THOSE STATS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS? BECAUSE THAT INFORMATION IS NOT GATHERED OR DOCUMENTED. THE TACTICS ALONG WITH THE NEW VOTER SUPPRESSION ATTEMPTS SUCH AS THE SAVE AMERICA ACT ARE STRICTLY DESIGNED TO SUPPRESS THE VOTES OF MINORITIES AND WOMEN, WHICH INCLUDES WHITE WOMEN. THE PROPOSED STRICTER VOTER I.D. RULES IN A COUNTRY WHERE NEARLY HALF OF THE RESIDENTS DO NOT OWN OR CAN'T AFFORD PASSPORTS OR ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THEIR BIRTH CERTIFICATES -- >> YOUR TIME IS UP. >> MAKE AMERICA SANE AGAIN. [APPLAUSE] >> NEXT WE HAVE... >> HELLO. [00:55:01] MY NAME IS MOSHE DAVIS AND I'M A RETIRED SECURITY ENGINEER WITH OVER 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE SECURITY INDUSTRY AND 225. I'VE BEEN WORKING AS AN ELECTION CLERK FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND MOST RECENTLY IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION ITSELF. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE VOTING PROCESS. THE PROCESS, SECURITY, AND PAY. ON ELECTION DAY ABOUT 25% OR MORE OF THE VOTERS I ATTEMPTED TO CHECK AND WERE AT THE WRONG LOCATION ACCORDING TO MY BOOK AND THE SYSTEM DIDN'T ACCURATELY TELL ME WHERE TO SEND THEM, OFTEN TIMES THE SOFTWARE DIRECTING THEM TO REPUBLICAN ODDI -- ONLY VOTING LOCATIONS. AND SINCE ESTATE FAILED TO UPDATE THE WEBSITE WITH NEW PRECINCT MAPS, SOME VOTERS WERE DIRECTED TO THE WRONG LOCATIONS, MAKING THINGS EVEN WORSE, THE VOTERS NEVER RECEIVED THEIR NEW REGISTRATION CARDS. MANY PEOPLE WAITED HOURS IN LINE ONLY TO FIND OUT THEY WERE AT THE WRONG LOCATION WITH NOT ENOUGH TIME TO GET TO THE RIGHT LOCATION. AND THE SITE HAD TURNED AWAY VOTERS AFTER 7:00 P.M. BUT LOST THE ABILITY TO VOTE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DISCUSS A MAJOR SECURITY LOOPHOLES I SAW WHICH ALLOWED THE POSSIBILITY OF WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO DETECT WHO DID SO ANOTHER SECURITY LOOPHOLES. BUT I WON'T TESTIFY ON SUCH AND PUBLIC. AND FINALLY THE ISSUE OF HOW MUCH POLL WORKERS ARE PAID. $12 AN HOUR IS A PITTANCE AND IT'S EVEN WORSE WITH IT BEING FEDERALLY TAX. AT LEAST OUR COLLEAGUES IN TRAVIS COUNTY WERE PAID $20 AN HOUR. HOW ABOUT PAYING POLL WORKERS WHO ARE MOSTLY RETIRED PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO A LIVABLE WAGE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PLAYER. -- BLAIR. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. I LIVE IN ROUND ROCK. I'M A REPUBLICAN AND A RECENTLY RAN FOR ELECTION. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE ELECTION DAY FAILURES AND THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY AND FAILURES I BELIEVE DAMAGED VOTER CONFIDENCE AND SHOULD CONCERN THIS COURT. BECAUSE I WAS A CANDIDATE, I HAD AN UP FRONT ROW SEAT TO SEE HOW THE ELECTION WAS RUN ON ELECTION DAY AND PERSONALLY WITNESSED MULTIPLE ISSUES THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. YOU HAD PULLING LOCATIONS THAT DIDN'T HAVE VOTING SUPPLIES AT 4:50 P.M. THE DAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY. YOU HAD PULLING BACK LOCATIONS THAT WERE UNDERSTAFFED AND UNABLE TO CONDUCT DRIVE OUT VOTING FOR DISABLED VOTERS. HE ALSO HAD LOCATIONS THAT RAN OUT OF BALLOTS ON ELECTION DAY. WE'VE HEARD STORIES ABOUT VOTERS BEING TURNED AWAY, HAVING TO DRIVE TO MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, AND THAT WASN'T JUST DEMOCRATS. I TALKED TO SEVERAL REPUBLICANS WHO HAD BEEN TO TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT SITES ON ELECTION DAY, PARTLY BECAUSE THE CHERRY -- LOCATIONS WERE CHANGED OUT AT THE LAST MINUTE AND THERE IS NO NOTIFICATION YOU MIGHT NEED TO CHECK AGAIN. AFTER THE ELECTION HE LEARNED 68 BALLOTS WERE MISPLACED AND NOT COUNTED ON THE ACTUAL DAY OF THE ELECTION. WE ALSO LEARNED THESE LOCKBOXES CONSISTED OF PLASTIC TUBS THAT JUST HAD A CUT OUT FOR BALLOTS. THAT DOESN'T SOUND VERY SECURE TO ME FOR A PARTY WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE MOST CONCERNED WITH ELECTION INTEGRITY. THESE ARE NOT ISOLATED INCONVENIENCES. THEY POINT TO PLANNING, TRAINING, AND EXECUTION FAILURES BY THE ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING THE PRIMARY. HOWEVER, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS WHICH IS PART OF THE REASON I'M HERE TODAY. WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ORDERING THE BALLOTS AND MAKING SURE LOCATIONS WERE STOCKED? WHO SELECTED THE PLASTIC TUBS THAT WOULD SERVE AS THE BALLOT BOX TO HOLD THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ELECTION DAY? WAS THERE A LACK OF AVAILABLE FUNDING TO PURCHASE THE AMOUNT OF BALLOTS NEEDED OR PURCHASED SECURE LOCKBOXES? VOTERS LOSE CONFIDENCE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU CALLING THIS SPECIAL MEETING SO YOU CAN HEAR EVERYONE'S CONCERNS. >> AND WE HAVE A COPY OF YOUR LETTER, PLEASE? YOU CAN EMAIL IT TO ME. >> YOU GOT IT. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> NEXT, TERESA SAUL. >> HELLO. [01:00:08] MY NAME IS TERRY SAUL. AND THE PRECINCT CHAIR AND PULL LARGER AND I HAVE FOUR ATTACHMENTS BASED ON ELECTION CODE. ONE OF THEM IS 31.093, WHICH REQUIRES THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE TERMS IN A PRIMARY CONTRACT FOR BOTH PARTIES. ATTACHMENTS TWO AND THREE SHOW BOTH PARTY CONTRACTS HAVE A CLAUSE NUMBER 6 ACKNOWLEDGING SHARED LOCATIONS. THE G.O.P. PRECINCT CHAIRS ELECTION INTEGRITY COMMITTEE AND PRIMARY COMMITTEE WERE TOLD FROM JULY ON THAT THE DEMOCRATS DID NOT WANT TO SHARE LOCATIONS. YET THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A BREACH OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CONTRACT. THIS ACTUALLY CREATED CHAOS AND HINDERED ALL VOTERS FINDING THE CORRECT LOCATION. WE COULD'VE HAD THE SAME LOCATION FROM THE BEGINNING BASED UPON THE CONTRACTS. WHO PERPETRATED THIS MISINFORMATION? IN THE SAME CLOSETS AS THE PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT ACCORDING TO TEXAS SITUATION 51.035, IF THERE IS NOT ENOUGH COUNTY OWNED EQUIPMENT, THE COMMISSIONERS COURT SHALL ALLOCATE THE EQUIPMENT AMONG THE POLITICAL PARTIES. WHO LEFT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OUT OF MAKING THE DECISION WHEN THE REPUBLICANS WERE TOLD THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH SCANNERS TO BE USED IN THE PARTY LOCATIONS? THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A GREAT CHANGE IF WE'D HAD SOME KIND OF DECISION-MAKING IN THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION. OTHERWISE WE HAVE TO GO TO SCANNING IN THE 8500 THAT HAVE A 10% ERROR RATE. IN THE PAST THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT HAS BALLOT BOXES AND MATERIALS FROM THE JUDGES LOCKED UP AT NIGHT TIME AND THOSE ARE TAKEN TO ANOTHER LOCATION. SINCE I'M PROBABLY THE LAST ONE I WANTED YOU TO HAVE MY PAPERWORK. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> OUR NEXT SPEAKER. >> HIGH THERE. I'M FROM CEDAR PARK. I'VE BEEN A CLERK AND JUDGE FOR THE ELECTIONS OFFICE FOR EVERY ELECTION FOR NEARLY TEN YEARS. AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A FIASCO AND I DON'T MEAN TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE. BUT I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT FUTURE ELECTIONS AND THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE IT BETTER. MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE HAVE MENTIONED HOW UNDERSTAFFED WE WERE. I HAVE AN 81-YEAR-OLD CLERK THAT IS SO FUN TO BE WITH, BUT SHE'S NO LONGER ABLE TO WORK ELECTION DAY. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, WE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO HAVE A BREAK. WE HAVE IT JUDGE AND TWO CLERKS, LINE OUT THE DOOR. I SAID, GO GET A SLICE OF PIZZA. THAT'S ALL WE TOOK ALL DAY. EVERYONE DESERVES TO HAVE A BREAK. I DO WANT TO MENTION ABOUT THE ELECTIONS OFFICE. SOME OF THIS DOES FALL ON THEIR SHOULDERS. I THINK THEY ARE A GROUP OF GREAT PEOPLE, BUT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DELIVERING, WE COULD NOT BE IN OUR LOCATIONS UNTIL 6:00 A.M. ON ELECTION DAY. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. AND THEY WERE HOLDING INFORMATION FROM THE JUDGES. I'VE ALWAYS SPOKEN TO THE LOCATION WEEKS BEFORE. I CAN COME DO A WALK-THROUGH, TOLD THE CLERK'S THERE'S A MICROWAVE. WE WERE NOT TO SPEAK TO ANYONE AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS HOARDING INFORMATION FROM US BUT WE NEED TO BE GIVEN THAT IN THE FUTURE. BUT ALSO SPEAKING OF THE FUTURE, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED OUR VOTER CARDS. THAT'S NOT YOUR FAULT, BUT WHAT I'M ASKING IS FOR THE FUTURE THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO DISENFRANCHISE VOTERS WHO MAKE SURE TO VOTE AND WE SAY, YOU ARE IN SUSPENSE BECAUSE YOUR ADDRESS CHANGED. IF WE'D GOTTEN THESE CARDS EARLIER IN THE SPRING, THE SELECTION THEY WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO CHANGE IT. I WANT US TO ALLOW OUR VOTERS TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER AT THEIR PREVIOUS ADDRESS OR CURRENT ADDRESS AS LONG AS THEY ARE STILL COUNTY VOTERS. THAT IS NOT OUR PROBLEM. ONE LAST NOTE I WANTED TO SAY WAS PAPER VERSUS MACHINES. CHECK THE STATISTICS. AT MY SITE ONLY 12% REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WANT TO DEVOTE ON PAPER. PLEASE ASK THE ELECTIONS OFFICE WITH THE OFFICIAL NUMBERS ARE. >> THANK YOU. >> OUR LAST SPEAKER IS CARLOS. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE [01:05:14] JUDGES AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU MY CONCERN ABOUT WHAT SEEMS TO BE A MOVE, HOPEFULLY I'M WRONG, IN THE RECENT PAST BY THE COUNTY COURT TO POSSIBLY DO AWAY WITH VOTING MACHINES. UNTIL THE MOST RECENT ELECTIONS, WE'VE HAD THE VERY BEST AND MOST RELIABLE VOTING SYSTEM ANYWHERE ON OUR PLANET WITH NO SHRED OF EVIDENCE OF FRAUD. PEN AND PAPER VOTING IS EXCRUCIATINGLY SLOW, MAKING THE SLIGHTEST ERROR AMONGST HUNDREDS OF BULLET POINTS FORCES ANOTHER LENGTHY ROUND-TRIP FOR THE WORKERS. IT GUARANTEES LONG QUEUES, A SURE WAY TO TAKE SOMEONE'S VOTING RIGHTS AWAY. WHEN THE POLLS ARE FORCIBLY CLOSED BY OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS OUR GREAT DISTRICT JUDGE THAT THE DECISION TO KEEP THE POLLS OPEN THAT WAS SHAMEFUL. BEING ABLE TO VOTE IN PERSON WITHOUT OBSTACLES IS THE PUREST EXPRESSION OF DEMOCRACY. AN EXCLUSIVE PEN AND PAPER SYSTEM WILL TAKE THAT RIGHT AWAY FROM INDIVIDUALS. THE DECISION TO GO TO PEN AND PAPER WAS MADE BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, WHOSE JUDGE HAS SINCE MOVED AWAY. IT IS MY HOPE THAT OUR DYNAMIC NEW COUNTY JUDGE, STEVE SNELL, AND THE COMMISSIONERS WILL TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO MAKE SURE ACCESS TO OUR TRUSTEE VOTING MACHINES IS PRESERVED. THEY CAN CERTAINLY PEACEFULLY COEXIST WITH A PEN AND PAPER SYSTEM. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [1. Hold a workshop to hear and discuss a presentation and update on the 2026 Primary Election from the Williamson County Elections Administrator, along with the Democratic Party Chair and Republican Party Chair.] NOW WE ARE GOING TO OFFICIALLY STOP THE WORKSHOP -- START THE WORKSHOP, I'M SORRY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. I DO WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THIS IS STILL AN OFFICIAL COURT MEETING, SO ALL DECORAH NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE. WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM OUR PARTY CHAIRS AND THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR AND TRY TO ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS AS WE HAVE. I WANT YOU WANT TO STAY HERE AND ENJOY THE MEETING AND CONVERSATION. PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME ESCORT ANYONE OUT OF THE BUILDING. I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BEHAVE AND TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING WE WANTED TO SEE IN OUR ELECTIONS AND BEHAVIOR AS WELL. I WILL CALL UP MICHELLE EVANS. I THINK YOU HAVE SOME PREPARED STATEMENTS, IS THAT ACCURATE? AND THE COURT MIGHT HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU. >> I HOPE SO. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICLY DISCUSS PRIMARY ELECTION DAY. I WANT TO PREFACE MY COMMENTS BY SAYING THAT THE DECISION TO CONDUCT PRECINCT LEVEL VOTING HAD CONSEQUENCES. THERE IS NO DENYING THAT, NOR HAS THERE BEEN ANY ATTEMPT TO DENY THAT. AS A PARTY WE TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OVER WHICH WE HAD TOTAL CONTROL. OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF WHAT WE AS A PARTY COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY AND BETTER. OUR ULTIMATE JOB IS TO SUPPORT VOTERS AND CANDIDATES WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING OUR PARTY PLATFORM. NONE OF THIS MATTERS WITHOUT VOTER TURNOUT. FEELING VOTERS AND CANDIDATES IS INEXCUSABLE AND FOR THAT I AM TRULY SORRY. BUT WHAT I WILL NOT ALLOW FOR IT IS OUR PARTY TO BECOME THE TOTAL SCAPEGOAT FOR EVERY ISSUE ENCOUNTERED BY VOTERS MARCH 3RD. VOTERS WERE FAILED BY NEARLY EVERY ENTITY INVOLVED IN THE CONDUCT AND SUPERVISION OF THE ELECTION. THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY, FOR NO DISCERNIBLE REASON, REFUSED TO SHARE POLLING LOCATIONS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO ENCOURAGE SHARING WHEREVER POSSIBLE AS IT WOULD HELP MINIMIZE VOTER CONFUSION AND SAVE ON SCARCE RESOURCES. WE EVEN OFFERED OUR PRECINCT COMBINATION INFORMATION FOR THEM TO USE AS THEY REPORTEDLY HAD CHALLENGES CREATING COMBI COMBINATIONS. HAD WE USE THE SAME COMBINATIONS AND MAXIMIZE THE NUMBER OF LOCATIONS SHARED, MANY VOTERS WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO DRIVE TO SEVERAL POLLING PLACES BEFORE FINALLY BEING ABLE TO VOTE. THE SITUATION WAS ABSOLUTELY AVOIDABLE AND WAS ONE WE ACTIVELY TRIED TO AVOID. THE LONG LINES EXPERIENCED BY VOTERS WERE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AT DEMOCRAT ONLY VOTING SITES OR FOR DEMOCRAT VOTING AT THE FEW SHARED LOCATIONS WE HAD. THIS IS BECAUSE THEY COMBINED AND CONSOLIDATED TO LESS THAN 45 LOCATIONS, 20% FEWER THAN WE DID, PUTTING UP TO 13 PRECINCT AND ONE HOLDING PLACE. [01:10:01] ONE GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS FAILURE IS THE ISSUE WHICH WAS MENTIONED EARLIER. WE HAD A POLLING LOCATION DECLINED TO HOST US BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO APPEAR PARTISAN LAST-MINUTE. WE CONTACTED PALM VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH AND THEY WERE HAPPY TO HOST US. WHEN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEARNED THAT WE WOULD BE AT THAT LOCATION, THEY MADE THE DECISION TO PULL OUT OF PALM VALLEY, NOT US. THE DEMOCRAT CONTRACT WITH THE COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT PUTS THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THEIR PARTY TO RECRUIT AND DESIGNATE POLLING LOCATIONS, THEN ADVISE THE DEPARTMENT OF THEIR DESIGNATED LOCATIONS. OUR CONTRACT AT THE OPPOSITE, PLACING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT TO DESIGNATE LOCATIONS. THIS IS NOT WHAT OCCURRED. DEMOCRAT LOCATIONS WHERE... EVEN BEFORE OUR CONTRACT WAS SIGNED. THEY WOUND UP HAVING FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL IN MANY CASES WHICH HAMSTRUNG OUR PARTY AND SEVERAL PRECINCT COMBINATIONS, LEADING US TO NOT HAVE CONFIRMED LOCATIONS UNTIL LATE IN THE GAME DESPITE REPEATED ATTEMPTS. WE WERE INFORMED SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION DAY THAT THE COUNTY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH HOT SPOTS TO ACCOMMODATE ALL POLLING LOCATIONS. THE LAST CORRESPONDENCE WE RECEIVED REGARDING THIS ISSUE WAS FROM THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR COUNCIL ADVISING US WE COULD USE OFF-LINE AND SINK THEM AT THE END OF THE NIGHT. ACCORDINGLY I TOLD OUR PRESIDING JUDGES THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TO CONNECT TO THE HOT SPOT. AT 6:00 A.M. ON ELECTION DAY I WAS TOLD BY THE ADMINISTRATOR THIS WAS INCORRECT, THAT OUR BOOKS NEEDED TO BE CONNECTED, GETTING THIS INFORMATION OUT TO ALL LOCATIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER WAS A CHALLENGE SO WHEN LOCATIONS OPENED UP FOR VOTERS THEY WERE ONLY GIVEN THE OPTION OF A DEMOCRAT BALLOT. WHY OUR BOOKS WERE A DEFAULT INTO A DEMOCRAT BALLOT I DON'T KNOW. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THIS MISCOMMUNICATION LED TO AN INITIAL DELAY IN PROCESSING VOTERS. AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS NOT SENT OUT UPDATED VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS, WHICH MANY VOTERS RELY ON FOR ESSENTIAL INFORMATION. THE SOS ALSO REPORTEDLY HAD INACCURATE POLLING LOCATION DATA ON ITS WEBSITE LEADING TO VOTERS ON BOTH SIDES BEING MISDIRECTED. IN SOME INSTANCES ADDITIONALLY THE BOOKS WERE DIRECTING VOTERS TO THE WRONG LOCATIONS. I RECEIVED MANY MESSAGES FROM REPUBLICAN VOTERS REPORTING THEY WENT TO A DEMOCRAT ON THE SITE AND INSTEAD OF BEING REDIRECTED CORRECTLY THEY WERE SENT TO THE WRONG LOCATION OR NOT GIVEN ANY HELPFUL INFORMATION WHATSOEVER. SOMEWHERE TOLD SIMPLY TO CALL ME IF THEY WERE UPSET OR CONFUSED. THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR THIS. ULTIMATELY THERE WAS AN INHERENT ISSUE OF AN EQUITABLE DIVISION OF COUNTY RESOURCES BETWEEN THE PARTIES. THE DEMOCRATS NOT ONLY HAD VITAL ASSISTANCE WITH PULLING LOCATIONS ABOVE ABOVE AND BEYOND THEIR CONTRACT TERMS, THEY RECEIVED ASSISTANCE WITH STAFFING AND WERE PROVIDED WITH FAR MORE SUPPLIES THAN OUR PARTY JUDGES INCLUDING CONSUMABLES LIKE REQUIRED SIGNAGE AND VOTING PARTITIONS. I HAVE YET TO HEAR REASONABLE JUSTIFICATION FOR ANY OF THIS AND ASK THIS COMMISSIONER DO ITS DUE DILIGENCE TO FIND OUT WHY THERE WAS SYSTEMIC INEQUALITY DESPITE CONTRACTS REFLECTING OTHERWISE. I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW THE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN OUR ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT AND THE DEMOCRAT PARTY WENT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THERE WAS AN UNNECESSARILY ADVERSARIAL TONE SET WITH US THAT CARRIED THROUGH TO ELECTION DAY. THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT AND ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR HELPED TREMENDOUSLY IN CERTAIN AREAS, BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO LEARN AND IMPROVE AND AVOID FUTURE CALAMITIES, IT'S WORTHWHILE TO BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. I WANT TO ECHO ABOUT THE TEAMS WE HELPED ASSEMBLE FOR POLLING LOCATIONS. THESE AMAZING PEOPLE SACRIFICED THEIR TIME AND EFFORT TO ASSIST AND ADVOCATE FOR VOTERS FROM BOTH PARTIES ACROSS THE COUNTY. OUR PARTY OWES A HUGE DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THESE PEOPLE. AND WHILE OUR PARTY CAN AND WILL ADDRESS WHERE HE FAILED, INCLUDING PROVIDING THE REQUISITE FORMS AND STAFFING AND TRAINING, WE CANNOT FORCE OTHERS TO ADDRESS WHERE THEY ALSO FAILED. MY HOPE IS THAT OUR ELECTIONS COMMISSION WILL FINALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND PERFORM A THOROUGH AFTER ACTION REVIEW. I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR SUCH A MEETING FOR OVER A MONTH NOW. WE'VE ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CORRECT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY AND AS A PARTY HAVE ASKED THAT OUR CONTRACT BE MODIFIED TO RETURN TO COUNTYWIDE VOTING. ONE VOTE LOST, ONE THAT WOULD'VE OTHERWISE BEEN EARNED BY ANY CANDIDATE IS ONE TOO MANY. I ASK THAT WE ALL TAKE PART IN AN IMPROVEMENT THAT THE ONUS IS NOT ON US. WE CHOSE A LEGALLY -- A LEGAL WAY TO CONDUCT VOTING ON OUR PRIMARY ELECTION DAY. IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU HAD A HAND IN DOING AND I'M SORRY PEOPLE ARE BLAMING YOU FOR THAT. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU COULD'VE PREVENTED. BUT ALL OF US COULD HAVE MADE IT GO A LOT BETTER THAN IT DID. >> THANK YOU. [01:15:05] COMMISSIONER, ANY QUESTIONS? >> WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT TO TURN THE CONTRACT APPROVED BY YOUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE INTO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT? >> IT'S MINE. >> AND THERE WAS A DEADLINE FOR THAT, WHAT YOU MISSED, CORRECT? >> THERE IS NO STATUTORY DEADLINE FOR SIGNING THE CONTRACT. THE TIMELINE WE WORKED UNDER FOR PRIMARY ELECTION DAY WAS THAT DECEMBER 18TH WAS WHEN WE DID OUR BALLOT DRAW AND DECEMBER 19TH WAS THE DATE BRIDGET INTENDED TO DO BALLOT FORMATTING. IN ORDER FOR US TO BENEFIT FROM THAT, WE NEEDED TO BE UNDER CONTRACT. THAT WAS KIND OF OUR SOFT DEADLINE. >> BUT I WASN'T READY TO GO IN ON THAT DAY. >> IT WAS SIGNED PRIOR TO THE 19TH, YES. I THINK IT WAS THE 13TH. >> THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE THAT THE WRONG CONTRACT WAS TURNED IN. WERE YOU AWARE OF THAT? >> THERE WAS NEVER A WRONG CONTRACT TURNED IN. >> OKAY. >> ANYMORE QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER ALONG? >> ON THAT ISSUE, THE CONTRACT ISSUE BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND YOURSELF. IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS A SAY IN. AND WHATEVER YOU AND THAT GROUP DECIDE ON HOW THAT HAPPENS BETWEEN THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR IS NOT A COMMISSIONERS COURT ISSUE. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT WHILE YOU WERE HERE. >> RIGHT. OUR INTERNAL PROCESSES ARE INTERNAL. >> IT WAS STATED EARLIER, WHY DIDN'T WE FIX THAT. WE AREN'T PARTY TO THAT CONTRACT. >> CORRECT. >> I HAVE A COUPLE. WE WILL JUST FINISH THE CONTRACT P OR Q SIGNED THE CONTRACT ON THE 11TH. I THINK THE CONTRACT SAID THE 11TH OF DECEMBER. ON THIS 11TH DAY OF DE OF DECEMBER 2025. SO THAT HAS BEEN STATED BY SOME THAT THAT WAS NOT WHAT WAS WANTED. I BELIEVE THAT YOU AND THE ELECTIONS MINISTER HAD GONE BACK AND FORTH FIGURING OUT WHAT THAT WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> SO THIS WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT YOU SIGNED, SO IT WAS IN EFFECT AT THAT TIME. >> YES. >> AND THAT WAS SO THE PROCESS COULD CONTINUE ON. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT SEVERAL HAVE STATED AND WE EXPERIENCED IS THAT THERE WERE NOT VOTING LOCATIONS SET, AND THEN THERE WERE, AND THEN THEY CHANGED. WHAT WAS THE LATEST DATE THAT A VOTING LOCATION CHANGE? >> MONDAY, MARCH SECOND. >> THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION. >> CORRECT. >> SO PART OF THE PROBLEM -- SHOW OF HANDS, THESE PEOPLE PROBABLY KNOW WHAT VOTING PRECINCT THEY ARE IN. BUT I'M GOING TO SUGGEST THAT MOST OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS DO NOT. THEY DO NOT HAVE THEIR VOTER CARD. HOW WOULD ANYONE KNOW WHERE TO GO AT THAT POINT? >> WE'VE SPENT NEARLY $15,000 ON COMMUNICATION WITH VOTERS, INCLUDING FOUR ROUNDS OF TEXT MESSAGES, POST CARD SENT TO 12,000 HOMES REPRESENTING 17,000 MODELED ELECTION DAY REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VOTERS. I THINK WE DID NINE ROUNDS OF EMAILS, 19 FACEBOOK POSTS. WE HAD THE COMMUNITY IMPACT BANNER FOR TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT LEADING UP TO ELECTION DAY SAYING, CLICK HERE FOR YOUR POLLING LOCATION. WE HAD FULL-PAGE ADS. NOT TO MENTION THE FREE PUBLICITY WE EARNED OVER THE COURSE OF A COUPLE MONTHS THROUGH MEDIA. WE ENDEAVORED TO COMMUNICATE AS EFFECTIVELY AS WE POSSIBLY COULD. IT WAS SAID IN ONE OF THE ARTICLES, HOW DO YOU COMMU COMMUNICATE... CAMPAIGNS KNOW THAT. YOU MODEL VOTERS AND TARGET THEM DIRECTLY, AND THAT WAS WHAT WE DID OUR BEST TO DO. >> BUT REASONABLE MINDS WOULD PROBABLY SUGGEST IT WAS GOING TO BE CONFUSING FOR MOST FOLKS. THERE WERE EIGHT OR NINE VOTING LOCATIONS IN GEORGETOWN ON ELECTION DAY, AND I PURPOSEFULLY CHOSE TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY TO EXPERIENCE IT. I HAVE A VOTING LOCATION IN MY OFFICE BUILDING AND I COULD'VE EASILY VOTED EARLY. BUT SILLY ME, I WAITED. [01:20:06] BUT ON PURPOSE BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS LIKE. THERE WERE THAT MANY VOTING LOCATIONS IN GEORGETOWN AND ONLY TWO PRECINCTS WERE IN MY BUILDING FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. I THINK SEVEN WERE FOR THE DEMOCRATS AND THEY WERE OUT THE DOOR. BUT I HAD TO DRIVE TO LIBERTY HILL TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY. 25 MINUTES ONE WAY TO GO THERE, I TIMED IT AS YOU THINK A CPA MIGHT LOOK AT THE MILES. IT WAS A GREAT VOTING LOCATION AND THEY WERE WONDERFUL. BUT THERE WERE OTHERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT ALSO. I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THAT, BUT THAT WAS OF ROYAL FAILURE. TO HAVE TO DRIVE THAT FAR. I KNOW WE HEARD FROM ANOTHER PERSON TODAY THAT SOMEONE HAD TO GO TO AND ICE. THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH BALLOTS AND THEY RAN OUT. WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ORDERING BALLOTS BY THE CONTRACT HE SIGNED IN DECEMBER? >> WE ARE. BECAUSE I DEMOCRATS CONTRACTED IN JUNE, NOTABLY THEY SIGNED A JOINT PRIMARY CONTRACT WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH US ABOUT WHETHER WE WANT A JOINT PRIMARY OR ANY OF THAT. I'VE STILL NEVER RECEIVED A CALL ABOUT ANYTHING. THE SERVICES THEY WERE OFFERED IN THEIR CONTRACT BECAME THE BASELINE, THE DE FACTO BASELINE FOR WHAT SERVICES WE WOULD THEN BE OFFERED. SO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT COULD HAVE DONE BLANK BALLOT PAPER. VOTED TO ADOPT PREPRINTED PAPER BALLOTS. SO THE ONUS THEN BECAME ON US TO ORDER THAT TYPE OF BALLOT. WHAT HAPPENED WAS WE GOT THE BALLOT PROGRAMMING, WE SENT IT INTO THE VENDOR, RECEIVED THE ORDER THE THURSDAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY. AND THROUGH INSPECTING EVERYTHING WE RECEIVED, I THINK WE FIGURED OUT ON SATURDAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY THAT WE'D BEEN SHORTED 13,000 BALLOTS BY THE COMPANY. OUR ORDER WAS CORRECT. THEIR FULFILLMENT WAS INCORRECT. AND THAT WAS THE BIGGEST ISSUE BECAUSE THEY SHORTED US ABOUT 700 BALLOTS WHEN WE WERE EXPECTING A LITTLE OF GREAT HUNDRED. >> SO -- I'M NOT SURE WHY OR HOW IT CAME TO BE THAT YOU DIDN'T GET THE BALLOTS UNTIL THE SATURDAY BEFORE THE TUESDAY. >> THURSDAY. >> THE THURSDAY BEFORE THE TUESDAY. BUT YOU KNEW THE PEOPLE WERE GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT IN DECEMBER WHEN WE HAVE TO REGISTER. WHY WERE THEY NOT ORDERED WAY BEFORE THEN SO THAT YOU COULD HAVE HAD IT, AND I THINK THEY GOT DELIVERED TO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT WAREHOUSE AND THEN YOU HAD TO GO PICK THEM UP AND FIGURE OUT WHAT BUCKET TO PUT THEM IN AND ORGANIZE THAT. >> IN RETROSPECT, I WOULD HAVE TO COMB THROUGH THE EMAILS, BUT THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS THAT STARTED IN EARLY JANUARY. THEN WE GOT THE BALLOT PROGRAMMING FROM THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT, AND AFTER WE FIGURED OUT WHAT QUANTITIES WE NEEDED FOR EACH PRECINCT WE PUT IN OUR ORDER. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT E SMS AFTER PUTTING THE ORDER IN TO GET A TRACKING NUMBER, DELIVERY INFORMATION. THAT WAS NOT UPDATED ON THEIR SIDE UNTIL WEDNESDAY. SO WE WERE -- IT WAS HONESTLY PANIC MODE BECAUSE NO BALLOTS, NO ELECTION. BUT I CONTACTED ES IN US THE WEEKEND BEFORE ELECTION DAY AND THEY ADMITTED THAT IT WAS THERE FAULT THEY HAD SHORTED US THE BALLOTS. THEY OVERNIGHTED US TO BE DELIVERED TUESDAY 8:00 A.M. AT THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT FOR THUS -- FOR US TO SORT. >> DID BRIDGET ESCOBEDO, OUR ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, VOLUNTEERED TO HELP YOU WITH THAT ISSUE? >> THAT WAS NOT MY UNDERSTANDING. >> I BELIEVE THERE WAS A CONVERSATION. WHEN SHE COMES OUT I'LL ASK HER THE SAME THING. I THOUGHT THERE WAS A DISCUSSION BETWEEN YOU BECAUSE SHE WAS TRYING TO HELP, BECAUSE YOU WERE IN A BAD PLACE. >> YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE SUNDAY BEFORE. >> CORRECT. WHEN WE REALIZED THE ISSUE WITH THE SHORTAGE, NOT PRIOR TO ORDERING, BUT WE GOT ON THE PHONE WITH HER AND LIKE I SAID IN MANY AREAS, WE WORKED TREMENDOUSLY TOGETHER AND SHE SUPPORTED US ON ELECTION DAY AND OFFERED TO SUPPORT US THE DAY BEFORE BY OFFERING UP BALLOT ON DEMAND PRINTERS TO TRY TO TURN OUT 13,000 BALLOTS. WE WEREN'T SURE IF WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT BUT SHE WAS READY TO SET THAT UP. [01:25:05] I WANT TO SAY THEY CAME THROUGH, BUT THEY DELIVERED. >> THERE'S A LOT MORE TO DISCUSS. BUT I'M TRYING TO COVER SOME OF THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP. THE PULL BOOKS SHOWING D ONLY. DID NOT GET REVERSED WHEN YOU CONNECTED? >> IT DID, BUT IT TOOK A WHILE TO ROLL OUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. >> WHERE DID THAT INFORMATION COME FROM? >> THE HOT SPOT? >> THE DEMOCRATS CHECKED IN AND THE REASON IT ONLY SHOWED D, PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY'D ALREADY SIGNED INTO IT. THE REPUBLICANS THAT HAD NOT. BUT ONCE YOU DID THAT THE R CAME UP. I HOPE NO ONE WAS SUGGESTING THAT'S NEFARIOUS, BECAUSE THAT WASN'T THE CASE. ONCE IT WAS ALL HOOKED UP IT WAS SHOWING BOTH PARTIES. IS THAT CORRECT? >> IT WAS SHOWING REPUBLICAN. >> AS IT SHOULD HAVE. AND THE DEMOCRATS HAD DEMOCRATS. OKAY. JUST WANTED TO VERIFY THAT. THERE IS CONVERSATION ABOUT EQUIPMENT NOT BEING SHARED APPROPRIATELY. AND BY THE WAY, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY DISCUSSION THAT ANY OF US ON THIS DAIS, I DON'T KNOW INDIVIDUALLY, BUT WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED ANY ALLOCATION EQUIPMENT. LAST YEAR WHEN BRIDGET CAME TO US AND SAID THERE'S GOING TO BE A PUSH FOR THESE BALLOTS, BUBBLE IN BALLOTS, I'M GOING TO GET THE ACRONYMS WRONG IF I DON'T, THEN WE ARE GOING TO BE EXPECTED TO DO THAT IN THE FUTURE, WE FEEL BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT HAD SAID THAT WAS THE DIRECTION THEY WANTED TO GO. IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COULD START IN A NOVEMBER ELECTION THAT'S NOT AN EVEN YEAR BECAUSE THAT'S HEAVY TURN OUT. AGREED TO THAT. IT WAS $1.1 MILLION THAT WERE GOING TO GO TOWARD THAT. KEEP IN MIND THAT JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, SOME OF US ON THE COURT VOTED FOR $4.5 MILLION EQUIPMENT ET CETERA FOR THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES. AND BY THE WAY, THOSE ARE BALLOT -- PAPER DEVICES AND THEY CAN BE AUDITED. WE CAN HAVE A SEPARATE DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW MANY TO AUDIT TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH IT AND SOS ONLY GIVES YOU THREE. WE COULD DO MORE OR STAY WITH LESS. BUT WHEN IT'S SHOWN THEY ARE WORKING WE NEED TO MOVE ON. AT THE BEGINNING, THE DEMOCRATS, YOU CAN CORRECT ME BUT THE DEMOCRATS CONTRACTED IN THE SUMMERTIME. AND YOU AREN'T UNTIL DECEMBER. WHEN THAT HAPPENED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DISCUSSION, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE WERE A LOT MORE PRECINCTS. WE HAVE 177 VOTING PRECINCTS. IF THE ISSUE WAS TO GET TO THAT VOTING LEVEL THAT WAS GOING TO BE A LOT. I KNOW THERE IS NOT LOCATIONS DEVOTING ALL THOSE. SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COMBINE THEM AT SOME POINT. WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST. HOW MANY DID YOU END UP WITH? >> FIFTY-FIVE. >> SO YOU'VE GONE FROM 177 DOWN TO 55. HOW MANY WERE THERE HAVE BEEN IF WE STAYED COUNTYWIDE? >> NO IDEA. >> I BELIEVE THE NUMBER IS 89. WE REDUCED EVEN FURTHER THEN WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO LEGALLY IF WE'D GONE COUNTYWIDE. SO WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. DIDN'T SEEM TO ACCOMPLISH IT BY DOING WHAT THEY HAD TO DO BUT THERE WAS NO LIMITATIONS. BUT THE VOTING EQUIPMENT, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK YOU HAD A LOT MORE ANTICIPATED BUT YOU COULDN'T FIND THE LOCATION. IT KEPT SHRINKING. AT THE BEGINNING SHE TOLD YOU THERE WASN'T GOING TO BE ENOUGH EQUIPMENT BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAD THE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS GOING SEPARATE, NOT SHARING THAT COUNTING MACHINE,. >> FOR THE SCANNERS, WE FOUND OUT IN THE FALL THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH SCANNERS TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING TO BE 80 PLUS LOCATIONS JUST FOR US. SO WE ADJUSTED AND THAT'S WHERE THE BALLOT BOXES CAME IN. I WANT TO ADDRESS THAT. THE BALLOT BOXES WENT UP BEYOND WHAT WAS LEGALLY REQUIRED FOR SECURITY. TO PADLOCKS WITH KEYS AND SEALS WITH A SERIAL NUMBER. >> EVERYTHING WAS DONE ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WAS REQUIRED FOR THAT SECURITY. THE LAW WITH REGARD TO BALLOT [01:30:07] BOXES AS IT HAS TO BE OPAQUE AND HAS TO BE METAL OR SOME OTHER MATERIAL. WENT BACK AND FORTH WITH THE SOS INCLUDED ABOUT WHAT WE COULD AND COULDN'T USE. I JUST WANT TO SET THAT ASIDE. THERE WERE A LOT OF RUMORS, NONE OF WHICH WERE TRUE, THAT THESE WERE JUST OPEN IN THE POLLING LOCATIONS. BUT AS FAR AS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, THE CONSUMABLES. THAT'S THE TERM THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT WAS USING. SO VOTING PARTITIONS. THEY KNEW IN ADVANCE THAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO RELY ON THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES. THEY ALSO KNEW WE WERE DOING PREPRINTED PAPER BALLOTS. EACH JUDGE GOT THREE PARTITIONS. SOME OF THE DEMOCRAT JUDGES GOT FIVE, SOME GOT SEVEN. SO WE HAD PEOPLE RUNNING ANYWHERE TO GET A PIECE OF CARDBOARD TO CREATE A VOTING PARTITION. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THAT UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION. OTHER CONSUMABLES INCLUDED THE SOS REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION. WE DIDN'T GET ANY DISTANCE MARKER SIGNS. WE HAD TO MAKE THOSE FROM SCRATCH. THE CURBSIDE VOTING SIGNS, WE GOT IN ON. WE HAD TO MAKE THOSE FROM SCRATCH. AGAIN I'VE ASKED WHAT THE JUSTIFICATION IS. THEY WERE SAYING THESE LOCATIONS THAT AREN'T CONVERTING, WE ARE GOING TO PICK THEM UP, THE MOVING COMPANY IS PICKING THEM UP AND I SAID, MEET THEM WHEREVER THEY ARE, PICK UP EITHER MONDAY OR TUESDAY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN HAVE 80 POLLING LOCATIONS COUNTYWIDE AND RECENT ELECTIONS AND NOT HAVE ENOUGH CONSUMABLES TO ACCOMMODATE 90. >> JUST ONE MORE THING. I THINK YOU CALLED A MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE BECAUSE THERE IS A RUNOFF AND YOU WANTED TO DISCUSS WHAT WE DO NOW. I BELIEVE THERE WAS A VOTE TA TAKEN, YOU DO HAVE A NEW CONTRACT THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE DECEMBER CONTRACT. >> SO RETURNING TO COUNTYWIDE, STILL A SEPARATE PRIMARY. WOULD LIKE TO MAXIMIZE SHARED POLLING LOCATIONS. JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD. >> LET ME JUST COMMENT ON THAT. THAT'S NOT A JOINT LOCATION. YOU WANT TO SEPARATE POLL BOOKS TO CHECK-IN AND SEPARATE EQUIPMENT BUT SHARING THE SAME ROOM. >> YES. BALLOT ON DEMAND PRINTERS, WHAT ONE OR AT LEAST ONE BALLOT MARKING DEVICE PER LOCATION AND A SCANNER TO SCAN THE BALLOTS. >> SO NOT THE DIRECTION THE PRIMARY DATE HAPPENED. IS IT STILL THE REPUBLICAN PARTY -- I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE'S DESIRE TO CONTINUE IN THE DIRECTION OF PRECINCT LEVEL VOTING FOR PRIMARY DAY AND EVENTUALLY HAND COUNTING BALLOTS? >> WE DIDN'T VOTE TO HAND COUNT ON PRIMARY ELECTION DAY. ORIGINALLY WE HAD PUT THAT IN THE CONTRACT AS A POTENTIAL FOR THE RUNOFF WITH APRIL 15TH AS A DEAD STOP IF WE DON'T HAVE THE LOCATIONS AND MANPOWER. I'LL SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM, WHICH ADVOCATES FOR AN END TO COUNTYWIDE POLLING PLACES AND A RETURN TO ONLY VOTING. BUT I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON NOW IS THAT WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WAS NOT A FOUR-MONTH RUNWAY. WE COULD NOT DO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY IN SPITE OF EXTERNAL FACTORS. THERE MAY NEED TO BE CHANGES LEGISLATIVELY, THERE MAY NEED TO BE CHANGES WITHIN OUR EASY. I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK TO WHAT THE FUTURE WILL HOLD. I WILL SAY WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM BUT ALSO TO TURNING UP TO VOTE AND SUPPORTING CANDIDATES. THOSE ARE OUR CORE FUNCTIONS. SO WE AREN'T ABANDONING THAT AT ALL. [01:35:01] BUT WE NEED TO MAKE ALL THREE OF THOSE CORE FUNCTIONS WORK TOGETHER. >> ONE MORE QUESTION REAL QUICK. IT'S TO FOLLOW UP ON THE FOR THE RUNOFF. THE STATISTICS FROM EARLY VOTING IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY, 79% OF PEOPLE CHOSE A BALLOT MARKING DEVICE WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY. WHEN I WENT IN TO VOTE EARLY IT WAS LIKE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOTE ON PAPER OR BY MACHINE. I DON'T MEMBER THE EXACT WORDS, BUT THAT WAS BASICALLY WHAT WAS CLARIFIED. 79% OF THE REPUBLICANS, I THINK IT WAS GREATER IN THE DEMOCRAT, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER. >> IN THE DEMOCRAT PRIMARY FOR PAPER, EARLY VOTING ONLY, IT WAS -- THIS IS DEMOCRAT ONLY, EARLY VOTING ONLY. 12% PAPER, 88% PMDS. >> ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE IT WAS 79% BALLOT MARKING DEVICES. I THINK BEYOND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES OF EITHER PARTY, THE VOTERS HAVE TOLD US THEY WANT TO CONTINUE THOSE. >> I'M GOING TO PUSH BACK ON THAT. >> BEFORE YOU PUSH BACK LET ME GIVE ANOTHER STAT. I LOOKED AT NOT JUST THAT EARLY VOTING BUT ON PRIMARY DAY, OF COURSE THE REPUBLICANS WERE NOT OFFERING... IT WAS THERE, BUT YOU WEREN'T OFFERING IT. >> THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. >> BUT I'M TRYING TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE. 99% VOTED PAPER ON ELECTION DAY FOR THE REPUBLICANS. BUT EVEN WITH THAT, IN TOTAL FOR EARLY VOTING ON ELECTION DAY, BOTH PARTIES, 84% PICKED MACHINES. >> YOU ARE FRAMING IT AS THOUGH IT WAS JUST CASUALLY OFFERED. IN MY EXPERIENCE IT WAS NOT LIKE THAT. WHEN I WENT TO VOTE EARLY, THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES WERE ALREADY FACE DOWN ON THE TABLE AND THEY WERE SAYING TO PICK A BALLOT. THEY WEREN'T SAYING, DO YOU NEED TO USE AN ADA ACCESSIBLE DEVICE, WHICH IS WHAT THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES ARE INTENDED TO BE. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE ONE AT EVERY LOCATION. IT WAS FOR ADA ACCESSIBLE PURPOSES. IT WAS NOT INTENDED, AT LEAST NOT ON ELECTION DAY, TO BE OFFERED TO EVERYONE. IT'S FOR SPECIFIC POPULATIONS THAT REQUEST IT TO MATCH THEIR NEEDS TO VOTE. WHEN YOU ARE PUSHING A CERTAIN -- CERTAIN THING TOWARD A VOTER AND SAYING TO PICK A BALLOT, YOU ARE NOT OFFERING THE CHOICE. YOU ARE SAYING IS, THIS IS THE DEFAULT METHOD. >> THAT WASN'T MY EXPERIENCE. MINE WAS, HOW DO YOU WANT TO VOTE, ELECTRONICALLY OR PAPER. >> AGAIN, THE PMDS ARE THERE FOR ACCESSIBILITY PURPOSES ONLY. >> I WON'T DON'T WANT TO ARGUE THAT POINT, I'M JUST SAYING IN GENERAL ONE PEOPLE WERE GIVEN A CHOICE THEY CHOSE TO USE THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICE. >> AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN I VISITED A LOT OF LOCATIONS ON ELECTION DAY, I WITNESSED AND LISTEN TO REPUBLICAN VOTERS WHO WERE LIKE, OH, MY GOD, PAPER! THE BLESSING OF ELECTION DAY WAS THAT ONCE THE VOTER GOT TO THE VOTING LOCATION AND WERE ABLE TO CAST THEIR VOTE, THE TEAMS WE HAD ON THE GROUND WERE GREAT, DESPITE ALL THE CHALLENGES, KEPT A VERY POSITIVE MOOD AND HELPED A LOT OF VOTERS. THE VOTERS, THEIR EXPERIENCE IN THE POLLING LOCATION WAS GREAT. >> I'M NOT SAYING ONCE THEY GOT THERE AND GOT TO VOTE, I JUST -- >> YOU ARE COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES. YOU ARE SAYING WE HAD THIS OPTION. IT WASN'T FRAMED AS AN OPTION FOR MANY VOTERS AND IT WASN'T FRAMED AS AN OPTION AND SHALL BE ASKED FOR IT TO BE, BECAUSE IT WAS THE DEFAULT METHOD FOR MANY PEOPLE WHO ENTER EARLY VOTE. >> IT WAS THE SECOND OR THIRD DAY IT WAS CLEARLY AN OPTION. >> COMMISSIONER. >> I THINK -- ELECTIONS ARE PARTICULAR. AND THE LAWS ARE PARTICULAR. I DON'T KNOW FOR ME THAT THIS IS WHERE WE GET INTO THE PARTICULARS. I'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS. [01:40:03] I THINK YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS. BUT I SUSPECT YOU WOULD ENJOY CLARIFYING THIS. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE, OR A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE, COME AT US FLOATING THEIR REPUBLICAN CREDENTIALS AND TELLING US WHAT THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY G.O.P. WANTS. WHOSE SPOKESMAN FOR THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY G.O.P.? >> FOR THE CONTRACT FOR THE ENTIRE G.O.P., THAT WOULD BE ME. BUT EACH PRECINCT CHAIR HAS THE FREEDOM TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THEIR OWN POSITION. >> SO YOU AND THE MEMBERS OF THE EASY SPEAK FOR THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY G.O.P. >> THE PRECINCT CHAIR CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES. BUT CONTRACTUALLY WHO'S AUTHORIZED TO BE THE SPOKESPERSON, THE REPRESENTATIVE, THAT'S ME. >> REALLY I WAS TRYING TO GET TO, I'M SURE THIS WILL BE COVERED BY THE MEDIA, SO IF THEY WANT A QUOTE FROM THE PARTY IT WOULD BE YOU OR -- >> YES. AND THEY DO. MY TEXT MESSAGE THREAD IS FULL. >> I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT STRAIGHT. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT COME AT US WITH REPUBLICAN CREDENTIALS AND I DON'T REALLY THINK THERE IS SAME STANDING IN THE PARTY. >> YOU WERE ELECTED, RIGHT? THERE ARE SOME ON COMMITTEES THAT ARE NOT ELECTED. BUT YOU WERE ON THE BALLOT AS PARTY CHAIR. >> YES. FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE. >> THAT'S ALL OF GOT RIGHT NOW. >> I HAVE A COUPLE. >> YOU STATED THAT THE DEMOCRATS SAID THEY DID NOT WANT TO SHARE. ... WAS IN HERE IN COURT SAYING WE ARE ALWAYS WILLING TO SHARE. MAY BE A NEED TO DEFINE WHAT SHARE MEANS FOR YOU. >> AT THAT MEETING SHE SAT NEXT TO ME AND SAID SHE WOULDN'T SHARE. AND IN A MEETING BETWEEN MYSELF, KIM GILBEY, MY PRIMARY ADMINISTRATOR, OUR COUNCIL, THEY WERE VERY CLEAR THEY DID NOT WANT TO SHARE. AT THAT MEETING ON JANUARY 27TH, I SAID, IN 2024 WE HAD A COUNTYWIDE SEPARATE PRIMARY, BUT THEY WERE WILLING TO SHARE. SHE SAID THE DIFFERENCES WE ARE DOING PRECINCT LEVEL. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE AND MAKE THE BEST OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. AND IF SHE DOESN'T WANT TO DO THAT, THAT'S FINE. BUT OWN UP TO THAT PART. THAT PUT A STRAIN ON RESOURCES AND CAUSED MORE VOTER CONFUSION THEN WE WOULD'VE HAD HAD WE HAD SHARED POLLING LOCATIONS. PALM VALLEY IS AN EXAMPLE. PALM VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH HAD A LARGE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM THAT WOULD EASILY HAVE HOUSED BOTH PARTIES. AND THEY WERE ALREADY CONTRACTED THEIR. WE NEEDED A SPOT THAT WAS IN THAT PRECINCT, SO WE ASKED PALM VALLEY AND THEY SAID THEY BE HAPPY TO HAVE US. THE DEMS FOUND OUT THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE THERE AND SAID, NEVER MIND, WE'LL GO SOMEPLACE ELSE. PALM VALLEY APPARENTLY DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE ONLY HOSTING THE DEMOCRATS PRIOR TO THAT AND SAID, WE WON'T HOST IF IT'S JUST ONE PARTY. IT WAS A DOMINO EFFECT. >> CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE REPUBLICAN BALLOT SET DID NOT GET COUNTED? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? >> THEY WERE COUNTED. I WOULD SAY THAT WAS A COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING ISSUE. WE HAD A BALLOT BOX SPECIFICALLY FOR PROVISIONAL SPOILS AND SURRENDERED MAIL IN BALLOTS. AT TWO LOCATIONS WHICH AFFECTED THREE PRECINCTS. >> SO CEDAR PARK... >> I THINK IT WAS PRECINCT 254, 356 AND 309. AND THOSE TWO LOCATIONS OUT OF 55, THE JUDGE MISUNDERSTOOD OR I MISCOMMUNICATED, WHICHEVER. THEY PUT THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICE BALLOTS INTO THOSE BOXES INTENDED FOR PROVISIONAL, SPOILED, AND SURRENDERED MAIL IN BALLOTS. THROUGH NORMAL RECONCILIATION, IN ORDER TO ALIGN THE NUMBERS WE WERE GETTING, THE ELECTIONS [01:45:05] DEPARTMENT DISCOVERED THESE BALLOTS IN THOSE BALLOT BOXES, IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION. WE GOT THE REQUIRED DISTRICT COURT ORDER TO RECONVENE CENTRAL AND THOSE VOTES WERE COUNTED. >> OKAY. >> A TOTAL OF 69. >> YES. >> GOOD, COMMISSIONER? I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR TAKING THE HEAT. I ALSO APPRECIATE YOU TAKING OWNERSHIP FOR WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL FROM YOUR END. BUT WE'VE GOT A PRIMARY COMING UP. HOW ARE THINGS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT? >> FOR THE RUNOFF? >> YES, SORRY. >> LIKE I SAID, IT'S KIND OF A RETURN TO COUNTYWIDE VOTING. WE WILL BE USING A SCANNER IN EACH PULLING LOCATION, NO BALLOT BOXES. WILL HAVE 2-3 POLL BOOKS AND TWO SEPARATE TABLES AT EACH LOCATION, ASSUMING WE ARE SHARING. AND EACH PARTY WILL HAVE 2-3 BOOKS. WE WILL BE USING BALLOT ON DEMAND PRINTERS WHICH YOU GUYS ADOPTED LAST YEAR. TO PRINT TEN MARK PAPER BALLOTS. AND WILL HAVE THE REQUIRED ADA ACCESSIBILITY AT EACH LOCATION. >> ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR CHAIRWOMAN EVANS? >> NOT RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU. IT IS 2:50. DOES THE COURT NEED A BREAK OR ARE WE ROLLING? >> CAN WE ROLL? IS KIM COMING UP? THE HOT SEAT. >> IT'S WARM NOW. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. FIRST I'M GOING TO START WITH A LITTLE CLARIFICATION. AT NO TIME DID I EVER SIGNED A JOINT CONTRACT. TO BE FAIR, WE'VE NEVER RUN A JOINT PRIMARY. I'VE TALKED ABOUT WANTING ONE FOR YEARS, EVER SINCE I FIRST BECAME THE COUNTY CHAIR. THE FORMER CHAIR AND I HAD A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND HAVE NEVER CONDUCTED A JOINT PRIMARY. YOU CAN GO TO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT WEBSITE TO LOOK AT THAT CONTRACT, IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME CONTRACT I'VE SIGNED YEAR AFTER YEAR. SAME OLD, SAME OLD. IT'S NOT A JOINT CONTRACT. I JUST WANTED TO CLEAR THAT UP. AS FAR AS NOT WANTING TO WORK TOGETHER AND ADVERSARIAL, AS CHAIR EVANS MENTIONED, WE HAD A MEETING IN NOVEMBER. I AND MY ELECTIONS ADMITTED TO SHED MEN SHOWED UP TO THE MEETING, NO COUNSEL WITH US, JUST US AND THE OTHERS THAT THE CHAIR MENTIONED FOR THERE. I HAD AN OPEN MIND. I HAVE A REPUTATION IN SOME CIRCLES FOR BEING PLEASANT, EASY TO WORK WITH, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS. I'M TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE FOLKS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE. SO WE GO IN THERE, THERE WAS A SLIDE ON THE WALL WITH POLLING LOCATIONS. I'D PREVIOUSLY HEARD THAT IF WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS WE WOULD LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT VOTING LOCATIONS AND THE FIRST ONE UP WAS A DEMOCRATIC LOCATION. CHAIR EVANS IMMEDIATELY WENT UP TO TAKE THAT ONE. SO I SAID, THIS ISN'T GOING TO GO HOW I THOUGHT IT WOULD. FOR WHATEVER REASON MY PERSONALITY DID NOT MESH WITH HER ELECTIONS ADMIN, AS ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM COULD CHAT WITH YOU ABOUT. THAT MEETING WAS NOT A GOOD MEETING. IT WAS VERY ADVERSARIAL. TO BE FAIR, AT NO TIME HAS CHAIR EVANS EVER REACHED OUT TO ME, AND I'M ONE OF THOSE FOLKS WHO THOSE TO SAY, ISN'T IT FUNNY, THE PHONE WORKS BOTH WAYS. I KNOW SHE KNOWS WE ARE WILLING TO SHARE. I GOT CALLS FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. NOT FROM MICHELLE HERSELF, ASKING IF WE WOULD SHARE. AND I SAID IF WE ARE DOING COUNTYWIDE, OF COURSE WE WILL SHARE. THAT WAS THE WHOLE REASON WE WOULDN'T SHARE, BECAUSE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY DOES BELIEVE VOTING SHOULD BE EASY FOR EVERYBODY. NOT JUST OUR VOTERS. WHAT WE SAW ON MARCH 3RD WAS A NIGHTMARE BUT NO ONE EVER WANTS [01:50:01] TO REVISIT. AND THE SAD PART IS, IT WAS TOTALLY AVOIDABLE. WE WERE ON THE RECORD FROM DAY ONE SAYING WE ARE OPPOSED TO THIS. IF YOU DO THIS WE WILL NOT SHARE POLLING LOCATIONS, BECAUSE WE KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO USE PREPRINTED PAPER BALLOTS, THEIR OWN BALLOT BOXES, AND THERE IS MANY REASONS WE DIDN'T WANT TO SHARE. WE HAD CONCERNS. I FEEL ONE OF MY DUTIES AS COUNTY CHAIR IS TO PROTECT OUR WORKERS, UNDERPAID WORKERS THAT WORK AT THE POLLS, AND OUR VOTERS. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, SOMEBODY HAD A QUESTION ABOUT TRAINING. I'M PROUD TO REPORT THAT THE TRAINING OF THE WORKERS FOR THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY WAS CONDUCTED BY THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION. THESE PEOPLE ARE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS. ON A LOVELY SATURDAY AFTERNOON, WHEN I DID HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO, I DECIDED TO SIT THROUGH THE TRAINING TO SEE WHAT WAS BEING OFFERED. 3.5 HOURS, EXCELLENT SLIDES. THE PRESENTER WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND ANSWERING QUESTIONS. THE HANDOUT, THE HANDBOOK, EVEN ROLE-PLAYING WITH THE DIFFERENT MACHINES. AND THE BMD'S, THE MACHINES FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO VOTE ON THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICE. EXCELLENT TRAINING. THE OTHER DAY SOMEONE ASKED ME HOW MANY BALLOTS OF HOURS WERE FOUND AFTER ELECTION DAY, THAT ANSWER WAS ZERO. BECAUSE WE HAD EXCELLENT TRAINING. THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE HUMAN ERROR. I'VE HEARD THE SAME STORIES ABOUT THE REPUBLICANS SENDING DEMOCRATS TO THE WRONG PLACE. I WOULD HOPE NOBODY WOULD DO THAT ON EITHER SIDE. THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A FEW ROGUE FOLKS DOING THINGS. BUT I WOULD HOPE MOST PEOPLE DID THE RIGHT THING. I KNOW JUDITH DID PRINT OUT THE INFORMATION, AND WE HAD PEOPLE BOUNCING AROUND POLLING LOCATIONS. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR BALLOT BOXES, AND PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD ONE OF OUR PROBLEM LOCATIONS. I WAS SO CONFUSED ON ELECTION DAY, BECAUSE IT WAS SET UP BY THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT IN THE LARGER OF THE TWO ROOMS, COME TO FIND OUT OUR EQUIPMENT HAD BEEN MOVED. I WAS CONCERNED. WE DIDN'T DO IT. COME TO FIND OUT ONE OF THE REPUBLICAN POLL WORKERS TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO UNPLUG OUR MACHINES AND MOVE ALL OUR EQUIPMENT THAT WAS SET UP BY THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT TO THE SMALLER ROOM. SO OF COURSE I HAD REAL CONCERNS ABOUT SHARING LOCATIONS WITH THEM, BECAUSE THEY WERE USING DIFFERENT VOTING SYSTEMS THAN WE WERE. SO I FELT LIKE I WAS PROTECTING OUR VOTERS AND WORKERS. PLUS, THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY ISSUES COMING INTO PLAY. I TRY TO BE AS NICE AS POSSIBLE ON ELECTION DAY. I WAS AT ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE THERE WERE DEMOCRATS LINED UP, AND THERE WERE SOME ILLEGAL SIGNS UP. I DIDN'T TOUCH THEM. I CALLED THE ELECTION DEPARTMENT AND HAD A VERY NICE CONVERSATION, NOT ADVERSARIAL AT ALL WITH MARIE GALLAGHER AND EXPLAINED WHAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN WITH THOSE SIGNS. I NOTED THE THOSE WERE DISTANCE MARKERS, TO ME THEY WERE ILLEGAL BUT I DIDN'T TURN THE MEN BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO HAVE ANY ELECTIONEERING. I DIDN'T ASK THEM TO TAKE THEM UP BECAUSE PEOPLE NEEDED TO KNOW THE DISTANCE MARKER. SO THIS ALL COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. I WILL DO MY BEST IN THE FUTURE TO HAVE A BETTER WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH CHAIR EVANS. I HAVE, IN TALKING TO THE MEDIA AND ANYBODY WHO LISTENS, TALKED ABOUT THAT I FEEL VERY BAD ABOUT THE JOB STAFFING THE DEMOCRATIC LOCATIONS. WE SAW THE INCREDIBLE TURNOUT DURING EARLY VOTING AND REALLY THOUGHT, OUR TURNOUT CAN KIND OF HIT A PEAK. WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POLL WORKERS. AND WE HAD UNANTICIPATED TUR TURNOUT. DURING EARLY VOTING WE SAW ALMOST 26% -- NO, DURING THE WHOLE ELECTION WE SAW 26% TURNOUT, WHICH IS IN FACT INCREDIBLE. [01:55:03] WE NEED TO DO BETTER, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEEDS TO DO BETTER. AND I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT. THEY REALIZE THIS WAS HAPPENING AT SOME LOCATIONS. WE REQUESTED MORE EQUIPMENT AND WE DID GET IT OUT TO HEAR THOSE PROBLEMATIC LOCATIONS. I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO SOME FOLKS, WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING TO LEGISLATORS ABOUT TRYING TO REWARD THOSE WHO GIVE UP THEIR TIME SO OTHERS CAN MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD. I DO FEEL REALLY BADLY FOR THE RECORD ABOUT BADLY ABOUT MAKING PEOPLE STAND IN LINE. I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS LEARNED. YES, TERRY EVANS, IT'S NO SECRET TO MOST PEOPLE. IF YOU ARE SIGNING THE CONTRACT TO DO COUNTYWIDE, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE. >> SO WE CAN ANTICIPATE THAT RUNOFF. >> IT'S A DONE DEAL. IT'S A DONE DEAL. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO BE -- WHOEVER SAID THAT, BEAT A DEAD HORSE. I HAVE A LOT OF NOTES. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAVE. >> I'M GOOD. >> COMMISSIONER. >> DIGITAL ON THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SIDE, I KNOW IT'S BEEN MENTIONED IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY SIDE THAT THEY RAN OUT OF DIFFERENT SUPPLIES. AND THAT YOUR POLLING LOCATIONS, DID YOU HAVE PARTITIONS, 100-FOOT MARKERS, ET CETERA, DID YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT OF THOSE? >> WE DID HAVE THAT. MY UNDERSTANDING, IN THE BEGINNING -- AND I REALLY CAN ONLY SPEAK TO THE CONTRACT I SIGNED. WHEN WE WERE IN TALKS, I WOULD HEAR -- THIS REALLY A QUESTION OR CHAIR EVANS. THE REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO GET ALL THEIR OWN LOCATIONS ARE PROVIDING ALL THEIR OWN SUPPLIES. WE NEVER WANTED TO DO THAT. AS THEY LIKE TO SAY, NOT MY FIRST RODEO. IT'S NOT MY FIRST PRIMARY ELECTION. DEFINITELY MY MOST STRESSFUL AND THE MOST UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD IN MY FIRST PRIMARY WAS 2018. SO I HAVE WORKED A FEW PRIM PRIMARIES. BUT WE HAD THE NORMAL -- THEY HAVE RUNNERS AS YOU KNOW FOR A REASON WITH THE TECH TEAM. AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT. I DO WANT TO PUT ON RECORD, I WAS PRETTY UPSET. I GUESS IT IS BECAUSE CHAIR EVANS DOESN'T UNDERSTAND, THERE'S AN ELECTION BOARD AND ELECTION COMMISSION FOR THE ONLY REASON THE ELECTION COMMISSIONS CONVENES IS TO SUSPEND, FIRE, OR HIGHER. AND I HEARD RUMBLINGS THAT SHE WAS WANTING TO CALL US TOGETHER DURING THE PRIMARY EARLY VOTING. I WAS CONFUSED. BECAUSE BRIDGET, MY EXPERIENCES WITH BRIDGET AND HER TEAM, THESE PEOPLE WORK TIRELESSLY. I AM PROUD TO SAY AT OUR CEC MEETING THE WEEK BEFORE LAST, WE HAD A CANVAS THAT SAID "THANKS TO OUR ELECTION TEAM." WE HAD MEMBERS OF OUR CEC SIGN IT. AND THE NEXT DAY, JUDITH, RICHIE, AND I DELIVERED IT TO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT WARM COOKIES DURING THE ELECTION. YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE, I'LL BE HONEST. I DON'T CARE WHAT THEIR PARTY IS OVER THERE. ALL I CARE ABOUT IS PEOPLE WANTING TO ENSURE OTHER PEOPLE CAN VOTE FREE AND FAIRLY. AND I JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL HUMAN. WE ARE ALL GOING TO MAKE A MISTAKE EVERY NOW AND THEN. I CAN TELL YOU, THERE IS NOTHING NEFARIOUS GOING ON OVER THERE. I WAS APPALLED. I WAS AT A CLUB MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. AND THESE PEOPLE I'VE NEVER MET CAME UP TO ME AND SAID, WE WANT TO BE POLL WATCHERS. WE TOOK A POLL WATCHER TRAINING. I SAID WONDERFUL, SHE SAID IT WAS NONPARTISAN. SHE SAID IT WAS STRANGE THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS. I'M, LIKE, WHAT KIND OF POLL WATCHING TRAINING DID YOU TAKE? THEY WERE TAUGHT THAT THE MINUTE YOU PLUG A MACHINE INCOME IT'S CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET. SO I'M LOOKING TO SEE WHO'S PUTTING THAT KIND OF MISINFORMATION OUT THERE. BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL HAVE A BIG PROBLEM. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNINFORMED, MAYBE INNOCENTLY, OR MAYBE THEY DO HAVE MOTIVES. BUT I THINK IT'S UP TO ALL OF US TO STAND OUT. BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS ISN'T ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WHERE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. IT'S ABOUT THE VOTERS OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, THE ELIGIBLE VOTERS BEING ABLE TO VOTE EASILY. WE HEARD HORROR STORIES OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, HEY, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GO VOTE AT THE PLACE I'VE BEEN VOTING OUT FOR THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS. INSTEAD, MY ROUND-TRIP TIME WAS AN HOUR AND A HALF. YES, PEOPLE LIVING IN ROUND ROCK HAD TO DRIVE. AND I APOLOGIZE. [02:00:03] BUT PART OF IT IS, INTEGRITY IS A VERY REAL THING TO ME AND MY REPUTATION. SO ONCE OUR CEC DIDN'T WANT US TO SHARE THE LOCATIONS BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES WE FORESAW, I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE COULD BACKPEDAL. AND WE DID SHARE. TO BE FAIR, WE DID SHARE LOCATIONS. MICHELLE GOT A LIST OF OUR LOCATIONS, AND WE CALLED THEM. AND SO WE DID SHARE AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THERE IS A FACT. BUT YOU KNOW, MY WORD MEANS A LOT TO ME. WHEN THE CEC SAID, WE DON'T WANT TO DO THIS, WE STUCK TO IT. BUT WE STILL DID SHARE SOME LOCATIONS. THAT IS A FACT. SO, YOU KNOW, I APOLOGIZE FOR MY PART IN THIS. I ALWAYS TAKE -- YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIKE TO PLAY THE BLAME GAME. I HAVE SEEN, IT GETS US NOWHERE. WE NEED TO WORK TOWARDS A SOLUTION. >> THANKS. >> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. JUST TO CLARIFY THEM IN MY BUILDING, THERE IS A VOTING LOCATION FOR BOTH R&D THAT WAS ONE OF THE SHARED BUILDINGS BUT NOT SHARED ROOMS. THAT WAS WHERE THE EQUIPMENT GOT MOVED, I BELIEVE. AND THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I AGREE. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, A GOOD STORY. AS YOU KNOW, I'M A REPUBLICAN. YOU MIGHT KNOW THAT. >> I NOTICED. >> RACHEL IN MY OFFICE WENT DOWN AND SAW THAT IT WAS BECOMING A PROBLEM QUICKLY. AND SHE MADE UP LITTLE PIECES OF PAPER. AND ALSO STOOD IN LINE TO HELP PEOPLE KNOW WHERE TO GO VOTE. BECAUSE IT WAS WRONG. AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE DEMOCRATS, BECAUSE I WILL SAY PROBABLY TOO MANY. YOU HAD SEVEN, I THINK I WOULD LOCATIONS THERE. I'M SURE YOU WOULD TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT. I WOULD BE SOMETHING YOU WOULD DO OVER. BUT THEY WERE OUT THE DOOR ALL DAY LONG. AND SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME GOOD THAT HAPPENED THAT DAY. >> THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. I THINK JUDGE MUSSELMAN SHARED A STORY. PEOPLE REALLY WERE COMING TOGETHER. AND THE POLLING LOCATIONS I WENT TO WHERE PEOPLE WERE STANDING IN THE LONG LINE, I MEAN, MOST PEOPLE WERE DETERMINED TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD. SOME PEOPLE SIMPLY COULDN'T. AND I DO WANT TO SAY, THANKS TO THE JUDGE HE WAS ALSO A REPUBLICAN. SHE REALLY HELPED ELECTION NIGHT DOING HER PART TO ENSURE THAT THE TWO POLLING LOCATIONS, WILCO, ANNEX, AND NORTHSTAR COULD STAY OPEN UNTIL 10:00. SPEED WAS STILL A DEMOCRAT ONLY LOCATION. >> ONE IS DEMOCRAT ONLY, YES. NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN IN HER COURT WITH ELECTION PROCEEDINGS. I CAN SAY SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST FAIR INDIVIDUALS. SOMETIMES THIS IS NOT PARTY VERSUS PARTY, IT IS ABOUT DOING WHAT'S RIGHT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. >> THE NORTHSTAR, THAT WAS A DEMOCRAT ONLY PRAYER THAT HAD ONLY, EVEN MORE VOTING PRECINCTS THERE. IN HINDSIGHT, THEY WOULD NOT ORGANIZE IT THAT WAY. LET ME MOVE ON. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING YOU SAID EARLIER. SEMANTICS MEANS A LOT WHEN WE GET PEOPLE COMING EVERY TIME THE WORD ELECTION IS ON OUR AGENDA AND SOME EVEN WHEN IT DOESN'T APPEAR. I BELIEVE THE AG SAID, IT'S NOT TWO VOTING SYSTEMS. IT'S ONE VOTING SYSTEM, BECAUSE YOU ARE COUNTING IT. TWO DIFFERENT METHODS WITHIN THE SYSTEM. I BELIEVE -- BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO VOTING SYSTEMS. I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT. TRAINING CAME -- YOU ARE TRAINING WAS SO GOOD, BUT WHO TRAINED YOU? WHO TRAIN YOUR PEOPLE? DID YOU? >> HEAVENS NO. >> ELECTION DEPARTMENT TRAIN YOUR FOLKS? JUST TO CLARIFY. IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THE REPUBLICAN GOT ONE MORE ELECTION POOL WHERE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WAS PART OF TRAINING FOR ELECTION FOR THEM. YOU HAVE ADMITTED IT, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR. I THINK IN HINDSIGHT, YOU LOOK BACK IN NOVEMBER IN THE FALL WHEN Y'ALL WERE DISCUSSING HOW THIS WAS ALL GOING TO BE SET UP. THE DEMOCRAT PARTY WAS UPSET WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FOR GOING PRECINCT LEVEL. YOU JUST SAID, WE ARE NOT GOING TO SHARE LOCATIONS. IF THAT'S NOT TRUE, PLEASE CORRECT ME. OBVIOUSLY, THERE WERE SOME LOCATIONS THAT YOU SHARED. THE ELECTIONS OFFICE ACTUALLY HAD A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS THAT THEY CAME TO THE TABLE WITH TO SAY, WE HAVE THESE. THEY WILL ACCOMMODATE ELECTION DAY. AND THOSE WERE THE ONES SOME OF WHICH YOU PROBABLY SHARED THOSE. BUT I THINK THERE WERE PROBLEMS ON BOTH SIDES. IT'S NOT JUST ONE SIDE. HAVING TOO MANY AT ONE PLACE. WE COULD TALK ABOUT GOING FORWARD, AND WE WILL BEFORE THE DAY IS OVER TALK ABOUT HOW WE ARE MOVING FORWARD. NOW WE ARE JUST RELIVING A REALLY BAD, HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE DAY. IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT, PLEASE DO. BUT I THINK IT WAS THE FACT THAT [02:05:01] BOTH SIDES WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE WAY IT WAS WORKING. Y'ALL CONTRACTED FIRST. YOU DIDN'T HAVE PRECINCT LEVEL. YOU HAD COUNTYWIDE. BECAUSE THE LAW IS THE WAY IT IS WITH THE REPUBLICANS DECIDED TO GO THAT WAY, YOU HAD TO. IS THAT CORRECT? >> THAT IS CORRECT. I DID MEET WITH SOME FOLKS THAT THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC PARTY AS WELL AS COUNSEL. AND THEY FELT LIKE IF I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND DO COUNTYWIDE, WE COULD. HOWEVER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN JEOPARDIZING OUR CANDIDATES. >> DID YOUR CONTRACT SAY THAT YOU WERE GOING TO SHARE LOCATIONS WHEN YOU CONTRACTED IN THE SUMMER? >> I WILL BE HONEST. YEAH, PROBABLY. IT PROBABLY DID. AND EVERYTHING CHANGED. YOU KNOW -- >> AND NEVER GOT AMENDED. >> NO, HE NEVER GOT AMENDED. I'M CURIOUS. I'M SORRY, I CAN HEAR TALKING BEHIND ME. THAT IS VERY DISTRACTING. >> SORRY, GO AHEAD, I'M LISTENING TO YOU. >> SO IT PROBABLY DID SAY SHARED. THEY CERTAINLY CHANGED THERE'S A LOT I WILL TOO. WE CAN BOTH DO BETTER. I AGREE WITH YOU 200%. AND AS FAR AS THE PRECINCTS PUTTING THEM TOGETHER, YEAH, AND TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE. WE THOUGHT WE HAD DONE A GOOD JOB. AND THEN, WE JUST HAD A LOT MORE PEOPLE VOTE THEN WE THOUGHT WERE GOING TO VOTE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW -- WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW VOTERS. YEAH. I'M VERY SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION WE CAUSED. >> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. >> I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. >> THE SAME THING. THANKS FOR TAKING OWNERSHIP OF WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL. LIKE COMMISSIONER COVEY, WE ALL WISH IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT BUT I THINK WE ALL COULD HAVE DONE BETTER. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO A MUCH BETTER RUNOFF HERE IN A COUPLE MONTHS. >> USUALLY, IT IS LOWER TURNOUT. BUT WHO KNOWS? >> WHEN IT MIGHT BE A PEOPLE DON'T GET TO VOTE. LET ME JUST MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR YOUR PARTY, THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT, HOWEVER YOU SIGNED UP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE YOU. >> I WANT TO REITERATE A COMMENT THAT WAS MADE EARLIER. I THINK IT WAS BY BRAD THAT SAYS, WE ARE HERE TO SERVE THE VOTERS. WHEN WE GET CAUGHT UP REPUBLICAN-DEMOCRAT IN FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER AND ARGUING WITH EACH OTHER AND BLAMING EACH OTHER, WE ARE NOT SERVING THE VOTER. I THINK WE ALL AGREE ON THAT. I THINK WE ALL WANT IT TO BE A SMOOTH PROCESS GOING FORWARD. >> THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN QUOTED TWICE. DON'T GET A BIG HEAD, BRAD. >> IT WAS A GOOD ARTICLE. >> THAT NEVER HAPPENS BY THE MEDIA. >> BRIDGES, YOU ARE HERE AND I WILL LET YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND ERIC AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YOU'VE HEARD ALMOST TWO HOURS OF COMMENTS AND TESTIMONY. HAS BEEN LOTS OF INTERESTING COMMENTS THAT ARE MADE IN SOME REALLY GOOD EXPLANATIONS OF WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WHY. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A STATEMENT. OR YOU TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. IF YOU HAVE A STATEMENT PREPARED, WE WILL START WITH THAT. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGING COMMISSIONERS, I AM THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR HERE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY. AND I BRING WITH ME MY COUNSEL. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY TO REGARD THE MARCH PRIMARY ELECTION BUT I WAS TO PROVIDE CANDID ASSESSMENT OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACED SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE OUR OFFICE PERFORMED WELL TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RUNOFF AND ALSO ADDRESS THE SERIOUS MATTER OF THE -- THREATS DIRECTED AT MY STUFF BY ACTIVISTS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS. THE CHALLENGES FACED IN ELECTION WITH CENTERED IN THREE AREAS. PEOPLE, PROCESS, AND PLACES. ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES FACING THIS OFFICE -- WHICH IS TASKED WITH CONDUCTED EARLY VOTING IN THE POLITICAL PARTIES WHICH ARE TRASHED WITH CONDUCTING ELECTION DAY IS THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF QUALIFIED ELECTION WORKERS. BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES STRUGGLED WITH THIS CHALLENGE AND REQUESTED THE ASSISTANCE IN FINDING ELECTION WORKERS FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ASKED FOR HELP FINDING ELECTION DAY WORKERS BEGINNING IN EARLY DECEMBER -- WHICH WE PROVIDED. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DID NOT ASK FOR ASSISTANCE IN FINDING WORKERS UNTIL THE THURSDAY PRIOR TO ELECTION DAY. AT THAT POINT, IT WAS SIMPLY TOO LATE TO REALISTICALLY ASSESS THEM. THE SHIFT FROM COUNTYWIDE VOTE CENTERS TO PRECINCT SPECIFIC VOTING CENTERS ON ELECTION DAY DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL SITES THE PARTIES REQUIRED TO STOP IT INITIALLY REPUBLICAN PARTY ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 115 ELECTION DAY POLLING LOCATIONS. BUT BY EARLY FEBRUARY, THAT NUMBER HAD DWINDLED TO A LITTLE OVER 70. AND JUST OVER 55 -- JUST 55 LOCATIONS WERE ABLE TO BE STAFFED IN THE END FOR ELECTION DAY. DESPITE EXTENSIVE OUTREACH, THE POLITICAL PARTIES WERE UNABLE TO [02:10:03] FULLY STOP EVERY LOCATION AT THE OPTIMAL LEVELS -- WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO LONGER WAIT TIMES AT CERTAIN SITES. THE PARTIES ALSO DID NOT HAVE THE DEPTH OF TRAINED QUALIFIED WORKERS TO CHOOSE FROM, ESSENTIALLY THEY HAD TO TAKE EVERY AVAILABLE BODY THEY HAD AVAILABLE TO PULL ELECTION DAY OFF. ELECTIONS OFFICE ALSO FACED SOME DIFFICULTY KEEPING EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS STAFFED. THIS SHORTAGE WAS NOT UNIQUE TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY. DALLAS COUNTY REPORTED SIMILAR DIFFICULTIES FOR THIS PRIMARY. COUNTYWIDE VOTING WHILE DALLAS DID NOT. THE SHIFT TO PRECINCT LEVEL VOTING WITH CONSOLIDATED AND COMBINED LOCATIONS DID MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND WORKERS, THE FACT REMAINS THAT WITH THE CURRENT POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND QUALIFIED PEOPLE WILLING TO WORK AT THE PAY RATES THAT ARE OFFERED. FOR THIS PRIMARY, THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY REQUESTED IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WAS REQUIRED AS A RESULT THEY MAKE A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN ELECTION DAY VOTING FORMAT. RATHER THAN THE COUNTYWIDE VOTE CENTER MODEL THAT WILLIAMSON COUNTY HAVE EXPERIENCED FOR OVER A DECADE, THE PARTIES HAVE PRECINCT SPECIFIC TO A PARTY SPECIFIC VOTING LOCATIONS ON ELECTION DAY. THIS DECISION WHICH IS WITHIN THE STATUTORY 30 OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES UNDER THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE REQUIRED THE SECURITY EQUIPMENT EXECUTE MENTALLY LARGER NUMBER OF POLLING PLACES IN A COMPRESSED THE FORMAT CHANGE CREATED TRAINING AND EXECUTION CHALLENGES. DEMOCRATIC WORKERS WERE TRAINED BY MY OFFICE AS LAID OUT BY THE SIGNED CONTRACT WHILE WERE THE REPUBLICAN WORKERS WERE TRAINED BY THE PARTY BECAUSE ADDITIONALLY, OPTED NOT TO USE THE BALLOT ON DEMAND SYSTEM AND BALLOT MARKING DEVICES, BUT PREPRINTED SEQUENTIALLY NUMBERED HAND MARK PAPER BALLOTS THAT WERE COLLECTED IN BOXES AND COUNTED. RATHER THAN A POLLING PRICE SCANNED AS AN WILLIAMSON COUNTY. FOR THOSE TRAINED BY MY OFFICE, ELECTION WORKERS WERE WITNESS TO THE COUNTYWIDE MODEL AND HAD TO BE RETRAINED ON A SPECIFIC PROCEDURE, BOATER RECALLS AND BALLOT PROCESSING. ON ELECTION DAY, VOTER CONFUSION WAS WIDESPREAD. SOME REPUBLICAN POLLING PLACES DID NOT CONNECT TO THEIR POLL BOOKS TO THE HOT SPOTS RESULTING IN A DIFFICULTY SIGNING VOTERS AND UNTIL PERMISSION WAS GIVEN BY THE PARTY TO TURN ON THOSE HOT SPOTS. IN ONE LOCATION, THE ELECTION JUDGE WROTE DOWN INFORMATION ON A SHEET OF PAPER THAT HAS NOT BEEN LOCATED. A SHORTAGE OF BALLOT STOCK WAS DISCOVERED BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, PRIOR TO ELECTION DAY AND A NUMBER OF BALLOTS THEY HAVE FOR EACH POLLING LOCATION. MY OFFICE OFFERED TO PRINT ON DEMAND PRINTERS, BUT THEY OPTED TO GO THROUGH THEIR VENDOR AND HAVE THEM OVERNIGHT-ED WITH DISTRIBUTING THROUGHOUT ELECTION DAY TO THEIR POLLING LOCATIONS. 541 PROVISIONAL BALLOTS WERE CAST ACROSS PRIMARIES AND AT TWO LOCATIONS IN GEORGETOWN, THE ANNEX AND NORTHSTAR GEORGETOWN AN ESTIMATED 150-200 VOTERS WERE WAITING IN LINE AT THE 7:00 P.M. POLL CLOSING TIME. WAIT TIMES AT SOME LOCATIONS REACHED UP TO 2-3 HOURS. A STATE DISTRICT COURT ORDERED THOSE LOCATIONS TO REMAIN OPEN UNTIL 10:00 P.M., HOWEVER THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT SUBSEQUENTLY STATE THAT ORDER COMPLETE TABULATION OF THE RESULTS WAS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL WEDNESDAY MARCH 5TH AFTERNOON. AS IS REQUIRED BY LAW, WE HAD THE PLAN PROVIDED TO BOTH PARTIES AND PUBLIC VIA THE WEBSITE. DESPITE THIS THE PLAN WAS NOT FOLLOWED BY THE PARTIES ON ELECTION NIGHT. BOTH PARTIES WERE INSTRUCTED TO ACCEPT DELIVERIES AT THE CURB, THE TABLE SAT BY THE PARTY TO LOOK AT STATUTORY PAPERWORK COMPLETED PROPERLY AND PRIOR TO MY STAFF TAKING POSSESSION. INSTEAD, OVER 175 LARGE PLASTIC TUBS FILLED MY OFFICE HALLWAYS WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY UNILATERALLY DECIDING TO SET UP SHOP IN THE LOBBY. MANY BOXES DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE CHAIN OF CUSTODY AND RECONCILIATION PAPERWORK. WHICH WE USE TO DETERMINE THE EXPECTED NUMBER OF BALLOTS TO RUN THROUGH THE CENTRAL SCANNER, BUT NOT HAVING THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK DESPITE CALLING FOR THE PARTY TO ENSURE THAT THIS WAS AVAILABLE BEFORE THE JUDGES LEFT, WE HAD TO PROCEED WITH TABULATING BALLOTS, MY STAFF AND THE CENTRAL COUNT JUDGE WORK THROUGH THE NIGHT TO KEEP THE ACCOUNT GOING PAIRED MANY HAD TO BE REDUPLICATED BY THE STAFF BECAUSE OF IRREGULAR MARKINGS THAT WOULD'VE BEEN CALLED BY THE POLLING PLACE SCANNERS AND REJECTED ALLOWING THE VOTER TO CORRECT THEIR BALLOT. ULTIMATELY MY STAFF AND I SPENT 30 HOURS WITHOUT SLEEP ON ELECTION DAY AND THE DAY AFTER TO FINISH THE ACCOUNTING PROCESS. THE LACK OF RECONCILIATION PAPERWORK ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE 69 CAST BALLOTS NOT BEING DISCOVERED UNTIL A WEEK AFTER THE ELECTION, BY TWO POLLING PLACE JUDGES COUNTED UNDER COURT ORDER WITH THE FINAL RESULT BEING PROVIDED JUST MINUTES PRIOR TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S OFFICIAL CAMPUS. TO BE CERTAIN, PROCEDURAL PROBLEMS WITH ELECTION DAY DID NOT MEET THE STANDARDS ON MY OFFICE AND CONDUCTING AN ELECTION AND THIS ELECTION WAS A LESS SECURE THAN I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY CAREER. AND THIS CANNOT BE REPEATED. THE TRANSITION TO PROCEED PARTIES AND A FAR NUMBER OF POLLING LOCATIONS UNDER THE COUNTYWIDE MODEL, IDENTIFYING WHAT MEETS THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESSIBILITY, SECURITY, ADEQUATE PARKING, SUFFICIENT SPACE THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON A TUESDAY PROVIDE EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT. BOTH PARTIES FACED CHALLENGES AND LOCKING THESE LOCATIONS DOWN [02:15:02] AND ASKED THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE, NOT ALL LOCATIONS WERE CONFIRMED UNTIL VERY LATE IN THE PROCESS FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ASKED FOR HELP IN FINDING LOCATIONS BEGINNING ON DECEMBER 9TH EVEN BEFORE THE REPUBLICAN CONTRACT WAS SIGNED. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ASKED FOR HEALTH ON JANUARY 8TH. MY STAFF AND SPENT ESSENTIALLY FULL-TIME FOR TWO MONTHS WORKING WITH BOTH PARTIES TO IDENTIFY SECURE LOCATIONS. TO BOTH PARTIES THE NEED TO LOCK DOWN LOCATIONS BY MID-DECEMBER, CHANGING TO PRECINCT COMBINATIONS WERE MADE AFTER THE FIRST LAUNCH THAT WAS CONDUCTED IN JANUARY A TEST THAT WAS ALREADY DELAYED TO THE STATE BALLOT NAMES AT THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY. I DO PRINT AND MAIL OVERSEAS BALLOTS PRIOR TO THAT TEST. THESE CHANGES CAUSED US TO REBRAND THE FIRST LODGING TEST IMMEDIATELY AFTER VOTES ON THE SATURDAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY. SOME LOCATIONS CHANGED WERE VOTERS ON ELECTION DAY THAT WEEKEND AFTER EARLY VOTING ON THE MONDAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY. MY OFFICE COMMUNICATED THESE CHANGES TO VOTERS THROUGH THE WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO DIRECT OUTREACH AND COORDINATION WITH THE LOCAL MEDIA. NEVERTHELESS THE SHEER SCOPE OF THE CHANGES COMBINED WITH THE YEARS OF ODOR FAMILIARITY WITH COUNTYWIDE VOTING RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT CONFUSION ON ELECTION DAY. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD OF FEBRUARY 18TH TO FEBRUARY 28TH WHICH IS CONDUCTED AND MANAGED DIRECTLY BY MY OFFICE WAS CARRIED OUT SMOOTH AND EFFICIENTLY, VOTERS EXPERIENCE NO SIGNIFICANT WAIT TIMES AT ANY EARLY VOTING LOCATION THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FINAL DAY OF EARLY VOTING WITH INCREASED PRODUCING LINES. I MUST ADDRESS A DEEPLY TROUBLING MATTER IN THE WAKE OF THE MARCH 3RD PRIMARY, MY STAFF AND I HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO THREATS AND HOSTILE CONDUCT BY THIRD PARTY IS ONLINE, OVER THE PHONE, AND IN PERSON. ELECTION WORKERS WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN TARGETED WITH INTIMIDATION AND ABUSIVE LANGUAGE, MY STAFF HAS BEEN THREATENED, AND I WAS THREATENED WITH A TAX ON MY OWN LIFE. THIS CONDUCT IS TRULY UNACCEPTABLE. MY STAFF ARE DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO WORK LONG HOURS UNDER DIFFICULT CONDITIONS IN ACCORDANCE TO THE LAW. THREATS AGAINST ELECTION WORKERS UNDERMINED THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, DISCOURAGE CIVIL PARTICIPATION AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. I URGE THE COURT AND THE PUBLIC TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A NONPARTISAN FUNCTION AND THAT MEN AND WOMEN WHO CARRY OUT DESERVE TO DO THEIR DUTY IS WITHOUT FEAR OF HARASSMENT. MY STAFF AND I ARE COMMITTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ELLIE DOING AND EVERY ELIGIBLE VOTER HOUSE OR VOICE HEARD. THAT'S THE MISSION OF MY OFFICE, THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT I TAKE SERIOUSLY COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH BOTH THE REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC PARTIES TO IMPROVE THE VOTER EXPERIENCE INCLUDING THE MARCH 26 PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTION. THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY HAS ARTIE VOTED TO RETURN FOR THE RUNOFF AND I WELCOME THAT DECISION. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS THAT PUTS THE INTEREST OF THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY VOTERS FOR US. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION AND I AM HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. [APPLAUSE] >> JUDGE -- CAN I START FIRST THIS TIME? >> YOU CAN GO FIRST. >> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, BRIGID'S, AND ERIC AS WELL, AND I HAVE -- THERE IS SO MUCH HERE TO COVER. AND I AM WONDERING WHERE TO START, AND AS I STATED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET INTO VERY SPECIFICS OF THE LAW, BUT I KNOW THE MANY PEOPLE WHO GOT TO VOTE AND DID NOT GET TO VOTE INSIDE OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, JUST ASKING WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT HAPPENED? AND I THINK THAT WE GENERALLY HAVE THE RUN-UP OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AS IT IS THEIR CHOICE TO HAVE A PRECINCT LEVEL VOTING. DEMOCRATS HAD TO FOLLOW IN SUIT. WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS, WHEN YOU GO TO PRECINCT LEVEL, YOU CAN COMBINE OR CONSOLIDATE TO, I THINK THOSE ARE THE RIGHT TERMS AND ONE PARTY CHOSE TO DO ONE, AND ONE PARTY CHOSE TO DO ANOTHER. THAT KIND OF DICTATED SOME OF THE POLLING LOCATIONS AND THE NUMBER OF POLLING LOCATIONS. AND THEN -- AND THEN WE GET -- AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, SO ELECTION DEPARTMENT, WE RUN ELECTIONS. AND AS AN EXAMPLE, RIMROCK, THE CITY OF RIMROCK CONTRACTS WITH COUNTY SELECTION DEPARTMENT TO RUN THEIR ELECTIONS. SO WE WERE ON ELECTIONS. AND THE PRIMARY, THOSE ARE THE PARTIES ELECTIONS, RIGHT? SO THEY CONTRACT WITH THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT TO RUN THEIR ELECTIONS, AND SO THAT IS, WHEN YOU ASK US WHY DO WE LET IT HAPPEN THAT WAY? THESE ARE THE PARTIES ELECTIONS [02:20:03] COMING AND THEY ARE FOLLOWING STATE STATUTE. SO SO MUCH TO COVER, BUT THEN WE GET TO EARLY VOTING, AND EARLY VOTING IS CONTROLLED BY THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT, AND SO WITH THAT, YOU WENT ABOUT IT THE WAY YOU HAVE HAD SUCCESS IN THE PAST, WE HAVE COUNTYWIDE POLLING LOCATIONS, WE HAD THE DOWN ON DEMAND, WE HAVE THE BALLOT MARKET. AND PRETTY EARLY ON WE STARTED HEARING FROM THE HEART OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT THEY WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT DURING EARLY VOTING, ONLY BALLOT ON DEMAND THEY WERE EXPECTING WOULD BE THE ONLY CHOICE. AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS A POLICY OF THE COURT. THEY STATED THAT YOU STATED THAT IT WOULD BE THAT WAY. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY -- I KNOW THAT WE NEVER VOTED ON THAT -- THE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, THAT'S COMMITTED IT SHOWED A CLIP THAT IT WAS JUST YOU COMING -- WHICH YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TO ASK US TO APPLY FOR A FEDERAL GRANTED TO PAY FOR THE PRINTERS. SO -- DURING EARLY VOTING THERE WAS NEVER A PLAN OR A THOUGHT TO HAVE BALLOTS ON DEMAND ONLY IN OUR EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS, IS THAT RIGHT? >> YES, THAT IS CORRECT. >> AND THEN THE QUESTION CAME UP, HEY, WE THINK HAVING BALLOTS ON DEMAND AND BALLOTS MARKING SYSTEMS, TWO SYSTEMS. AND I THAT ANSWERED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE ON FEBRUARY 17TH, DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? AND I STILL SAW IN SOCIAL MEDIA THE ACCUSATIONS THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING WRONG BY USING THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES. AND THAT THE TWO VOTING SYSTEM HAD BEEN ANSWERED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AND I JUST DON'T KNOW WHY THAT PERSISTED. BUT FROM THAT POINT, DID THE REPUBLICAN COUNTY CHAIR MAKE A MOVE TO CONVENE THE ELECTION COMMITTEE RESUME ABILITY TO HAVE YOU REMOVED? >> I BELIEVE SO. >> I MEAN, THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING. AND I HAVE SEEN A VARIETY OF CORRESPONDENCE THAT THAT WAS THE DIRECTION THAT WAS INTENDED TO HAPPEN. AND I GUESS IT WAS UNDER THE PRETENSE THAT THEY WERE VIOLATING COMMISSIONERS POLICY OR YOUR STATED POLICY, OR SOMEHOW THE SECRETARY OF STATE. AND IT NEVER QUITE GOT TO THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. NEVER CONVENED, BUT FROM THE SECOND DAY OF EARLY VOTING WHERE YOU WERE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THAT? >> ABSOLUTELY, YES, DURING EARLY VOTING MY MAIN FUNCTION IS TO MAKE SURE THE ELECTION IS RUNNING SMOOTHLY THAT ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS ARE STAFFED WITH THE EQUIPMENT THEY NEED. ADEQUATELY STAFFED BY OUR OFFICE. AND SO IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT, BECAUSE DURING THE ENTIRE ELECTION PERIOD I WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE OFFICE TO DEAL WITH YOU KNOW, THREATS OR PROBLEMS OR POTENTIAL LOSSES ASKING ME TO BE FIRED. SO IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO RUN THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD IT, HOWEVER, I HAVE AN INCREDIBLE STAFF WHO STEPPED IN AND ROSE TO THE OCCASION. >> I AM CONFUSED WHY THE ACCUSATIONS KEPT GOING. BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE IT OR BEEN RESOLVED BY THE FEBRUARY 17TH EMAIL FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND LIKE I SAID, THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE COURT HAD MADE SOME POLICY. I KNOW I WAS NEVER CONTACTED ABOUT IT. I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT PERSISTED. BUT THEN -- AND YOU REFERENCED IT ON FEBRUARY 25TH, SO WE ARE STILL IN EARLY VOTING, LORI GALLAGHER MADE A SWEET AND AS I SAW IT ACCORDING TO THE TWEET, IT HAD A VIDEO THAT APPEARED TO BE SPLICED AND CROPPED AND MADE THE ACCUSATION THAT YOU HAD UNPLUGGED THE CLOCK FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAUDING BALLOT SECURITY, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. AND THEN IT WENT ALONG AND MADE A FEW MORE ACCUSATIONS THAT YOU [02:25:04] WERE ENTERING THE -- REMOVING THE BALLOT BOXES WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE PRESENT AND THAT YOU WERE IN REAL TIME CAUGHT ON THIS VIDEO COMMITTING FRAUD UPON THE ELECTION, IS THAT RIGHT? >> THAT IS CORRECT. TWO THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT. IN MY TITLE AS ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR, I AM CUSTODIAN RECORDS. IT IS LEGALLY MY JOB TO HANDLE RECORDS. NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ASKED ME TO PURCHASE THE CLOCK TO PUT INTO A ROOM SO THAT THEY COULD BOLSTER I GUESS CONFIDENCE. SO I DID THAT. A PURCHASE THAT CLOCK. IT IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW. I DID THAT TO ANYTHING I CAN DO TO INCREASE VOTER CONFIDENCE AND INTEGRITY, I DID THAT. SO THAT WAS A FAVOR WHEN THE VIDEO STARTS, IT SHOWS YOU UNPLUGGING THIS CLOCK. IF WE HAD THE VIDEO FROM 2 MINUTES BEFORE THAT, SORRY, FROM 2 MINUTES AFTER THAT, WHAT WOULD THE VIDEO SHOWED YOU DO DOING? >> DURING EARLY VOTING IN OUR OFFICE, CUSTODIAL STAFF IS NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER ANY SECURE LOCATION. GOT ROOM WAS A SECURED LOCATION. AND SO EVERY SINGLE DAY, WE HAVE AN EARLY VOTING BALLOT BOARD. WE HAVE THE DEMOCRATIC REPU REPUBLIC -- IT WAS DIRTY ON THE FLOOR. I UNPLUGGED THE CLOCK TO VACUUM THE ROOM BECAUSE AGAIN, CUSTODIAL STAFF WAS NOT ALLOWED IN THAT ROOM. >> IF THE VIDEO HADN'T BEEN EDITED, IF WE HAD SEEN THE NEXT 2 MINUTES, YOU ARE VACUUMING AND THAT'S WHY WE UNPLUGGED THE CLOCK. >> THAT'S CORRECT. THERE WERE TWO OTHER PEOPLE, MY TWO OTHER SUPERVISORS IN THE ROOM BUT THEY WERE REMOVED FROM THE VIDEO. >> SO IT HAD TO GET SPECIFICALLY RIGHT TO SHOW JUST THAT SPECIFIC VIDEO. TELL ME ABOUT THE TIME-STAMPS? WHAT I SEE IN THE TWEETS, I DON'T SEE A TIME-STAMP, WHICH I KNOW THAT OUR FEET HAS A TIME-STAMP. WERE THEY PULLING THIS VIDEO FROM SOME PLACE OF OUR DIRECT FEED, THE COUNTIES DIRECT FEED? >> THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT COMPUTERS. I REPRESENT THE ELECTIONS OF OFFICE. THE LIVE FEED THAT IS REQUIRED BY LAW IS PULLED OFF OF THE RAW FOOTAGE THAT IS PROVIDED BY THE COMPUTERS. THE TIME-STAMPS THAT ARE ON THE ARCHIVAL COPY OF THE IMAGES IS ADDED BY THE SERVER AT THE COUNTY I.D. DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE FEEDS RUN OFF THE SAME COMPUTER. THE ONE THAT IS PUBLICLY PUSHED TO THE INTERNET TO YOUTUBE DOES NOT HAVE TIME-STAMPS THAT IS ON IT. >> RIGHT. I'M LOOKING AT THE TWEETS BY LORI GALLAGHER. IT STARTS OFF BY SAYING DR. PRESLEY WAS MONITORING THIS LEGALLY REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE. IN SOME FORM OR FASHION, I DON'T KNOW WHO MS. GALLAGHER TALK TO BUT SHE SAID SHE GOT THE INFORMATION FROM LORI GALLAGHER. THIS TWEETS GOES OUT AND I LOOKED IT UP YESTERDAY. AS OF YESTERDAY, THAT VIDEO HAD BEEN SEEN 43 MILLION TIMES. SO ONCE THAT TWEETS WENT OUT, HOW -- WHAT HAPPENS ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHAT HAPPENED WITHIN YOUR OFFICE? >> SO YES, I DID RECEIVE DEATH THREATS. MY OFFICE WAS OVERRUN WITH PEOPLE CALLING AND HARASSING AND CURSING AT THEM. WE HAD PEOPLE COME DOWN TO THE OFFICE AND TRIED TO GAIN ENTRY INTO OUR OFFICE. IT WAS ALL OUT CHAOS. >> THEY TRIED TO GAIN ACCESS BY FORCE? >> YES, THEY TRIED TO PULL THE FRONT DOOR OPEN. THANKFULLY IT IS LOCKED. >> WE ARE IN THE FIRST WEEK OF EARLY VOTING. IT APPEARS SOMEONE ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE IS TRYING TO CONVENE THE ELECTION COMMITTEE TO HAVE YOU REMOVED AS EA, AND THEN SOMEBODY ELSE, IT APPEARS TO HAVE EDITED SOME VIDEO, TWEETED OUT ACCUSATIONS THAT DON'T SEEM FOUNDED BUT RESULTED IN NOT ONLY YOU GETTING DEATH THREATS BUT HARASSING PHONE CALLS TO YOUR STAFF. AND WE ARE IN THE FIRST WEEK OF EARLY VOTING. >> THAT IS CORRECT. I DO WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE SHERIFF FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT HE OFFERED US, NOT ONLY THE OFFICE BUT MYSELF. IT WAS TREMENDOUS. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT. SO NOW YOU HAVE DEATH THREATS. WE BRING IN THE SHERIFF. DOES HE ORDER EXTRA SECURITY FOR YOU? >> YES. >> ARE YOU SEQUESTERED AT NIGHT [02:30:04] IN A HOTEL ROOM PROTECTED? >> YES. >> AND THAT IS FROM DPS? >> I HAD A POLICE ESCORT EVERYWHERE I WENT AND I STAYED IN AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION AWAY FROM MY HOME. >> SO THAT YOU COULD FINISH HER POSITION TO FINISH THE ELECTION OUT. >> THAT IS CORRECT. >> THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WHAT I CAN TELL YOU, I AM APPALLED. I HAVE GROWN UP HERE -- I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DEBT -- HOW MANY GENERATIONS OF TEXAS I AM BUT I HAVE LIVED IN THIS COUNTY FOR 50 YEARS AND THIS IS DISGUSTING. AND I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS HERE. IT IS APPALLING TO ME ON EVERY LEVEL. SO FROM THAT TWEETS, DID THE COMMUNITY OF TWEETERS, DID A MR. COOK JOIN IN? SO THERE WAS A STORY DONE. >> I DID A STORY ON VOTER REGISTRATION IN A PREVIOUS ELECTION CYCLE. SOMEBODY DID CREATE AN AI GENERATED VIDEO OFF OF THAT. THAT IS THE ONLY REASON THE VIDEO WAS ABLE TO BE REMOVED AFTER SOME TIME BECAUSE THE PERSON DID TAG A CORPORATION. >> BUT IT HAD YOU MISSED SPEAKING, MISSTATING THINGS. IT WAS YOU TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF. IT REALLY WASN'T INCLUDED ANYWHERE ELSE. IT WASN'T LIKE THEY ADDED IT. THEY FOUND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO PUT OUT THERE, YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION WAS PUT OUT THERE TO SOME DEGREE. THE PERSON WHO MADE THE VIDEO THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS FUNNY, AND IT REVOLVED AROUND YOU REMOVING A CLOCK SO YOU COULD VACUUM. WHAT DID THAT PERSON ENCOURAGE THE 43 MILLION PEOPLE WHO HAD SEEN THE VIDEOS DO? OR LET ME ASK YOU, HE THEN ENCOURAGED EVERYBODY TO MAIL YOU A CLOCK. IS THAT RIGHT? >> THAT IS CORRECT. WHICH IN TURN LED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC CALLING THE OFFICE, ATTACKING MY WORKERS AND CREATING A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM THAT THEY WERE VERY AFRAID. AND THAT WAS THE HARDEST PART FOR ME, TO LOOK AT MY EMPLOYEES AND TELL THEM THEY DON'T NEED TO BE AFRAID. THEY WERE VERY AFRAID, ALL DURING THE MIDDLE OF EARLY VOTING. >> I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW, THE FIRST SOCIAL MEDIA POST ABOUT VIOLATING SOME POLICY WAS MADE BY MICHELLE EVANS, THE PARTY CHAIRPERSON, OR AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I'VE SEEN. THE TWEETS WAS MADE BY LORI GALLAGHER, WHO INTRODUCES HERSELF AS A COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE REPUBLICAN INTEGRITY COMMITTEE, I GUESS. AND IN THAT TWEET, SHE LISTED HIS -- SHE LISTED HER SOURCE AS DR. PRESLEY AS THE INFORMATION. THAT'S WHAT WERE TALKING ABOUT. THAT WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK, YOU ARE NOW UNDER SECURITY, HAVING TO BE KEPT AT A SECURE LOCATION AND YOUR STAFF IS GETTING HARASSED AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO PENETRATE YOUR OFFICE BY FORCE. I JUST WANT TO SAY, AND I HAVE SAID IT TO YOU BUT I WANT TO SAY IT TO YOUR STAFF, THEY ARE AMAZING AND I THANK THEM SO MUCH AND THEY HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. THEN WE GET TO ELECTION DAY AND WE HAVE HEARD A VARIETY OF ACCOUNTS FROM TODAY WHAT HAPPENED BUT THEN WE GET TO THE END AND NOW THE PREPRINTED PAPER BALLOTS START COMING IN. DID YOU SET UP A WHOLE PROCESS OF WHICH BALLOTS ARE SUPPOSED TO COME IN. DID YOU ESTABLISH A PLAN ON HOW IT WOULD BE PROCESS? THE LAW REQUIRES THAT A CENTRAL COUNTING STATION PLAN BE PUBLISHED. I WORKED WITH THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR TO DEVELOP A PLAN. WE TALKED WITH BOTH COUNTY CHAIRS OFF AND ON ABOUT PROCEDURES, IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE PUBLICATION PLANNED THURSDAY BEFORE THE ELECTION. IT WAS DELIVERED TO BOTH COUNTY CHAIRS AS WELL AS PUBLISHED ON [02:35:01] THE WEBSITE. IS NOT REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE BUT WE DO IT ANYWAY. >> SO WHAT HAPPENED, THE TOTES STARTED COMING IN? >> I WASN'T THERE ON ELECTION NIGHT. BRIDGET IS PROBABLY BETTER TO SPEAK TO THAT BUT THE PROCEDURE SET FORTH IN THE PLAN, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE COMING FROM ALL OF THESE POLLING LOCATIONS THAT YOU ACCEPT THOSE ON THE CURB, THAT THE PARTIES PROCESS THE PAPERWORK BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE SERIES OF FORMS REQUIRED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CHAIN OF CUSTODY LOG, RECONCILIATION FORM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VALID AND SEALED CERTIFICATE. ALL OF THESE CERTIFICATES HAVE TO BE PROVIDED. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PARTIES GET THAT PAPERWORK IN ORDER BEFORE THE CUSTODIAN ELECTION RECORD EXCEPT THOSE BALLOT BOXES. THE MAIN REASON IS BECAUSE THEY ARE ELECTION JUDGES ARE THE ONES WHO CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES DROPPING THOSE OFF. YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ELECTION JUDGE AND ONE OTHER WORKER FROM THE POLLING LOCATION, TWO PEOPLE DELIVER ALL OF THE BALLOT BOXES. >> ELECTION INTEGRITY. >> THE BEST PLACE TO GET PROBLEMS RESOLVED IS WITH THOSE ELECTION JUDGES. INSTEAD, I UNDERSTAND WE DIDN'T HAVE PAPERWORK FROM A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS THAT WAS IN ORDER, I GUESS IS THE BEST WAY TO SAY THAT. I AGAIN WAS NOT THERE ELECTION NIGHT BUT LIKE EVERYONE, I CAN SEE THE VIDEO OF THE LIVE STREAMS OF WHAT HAPPENED. >> THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO COME WITH AFFIDAVITS FROM THE ELECTION JUDGES, CHAIN OF CUSTODY. THERE ARE FORMS ON THE SECRETARY WEBSITE. THAT'S NOT WHAT CAME. WE'VE GOT HANDWRITTEN NOTES. THIS STUFF IS GOING TO START COUNTING THE BALLOTS. WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY BALLOTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE BOX, CORRECT? >> CORRECT. >> BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THE PAPERWORK, WE DIDN'T HAVE IT OR IT DIDN'T MATCH UP OR IT DIDN'T MEET WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THEIR. >> THAT IS CORRECT. ABOUT 9:30 ON ELECTION NIGHT, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE FORMER PRIMARY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT ASKED FOR THE PAPERWORK. I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT THE EXPECTED TOTALS WERE TO RUN THROUGH THE DSA 50 FOR THE SCANNER. I WAS TOLD THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT OR IT WAS IN DIFFERENT PHASES OF DISARRAY. AND SO I CONSULTED WITH THE CENTRAL ACCOUNTS PRESIDING JUDGE AND WE MADE A DECISION TO COUNT WHAT WAS IN THE TOTES AND PRINT OUT A REPORT AND PUT IT INSIDE THE TOTES WHEN WE WERE DONE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE NUMBER OF BALLOTS WHICH RAN THROUGH THE SCANNER. >> THIS IS JUST FOR ME BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ASKED FOR SEVERAL TIMES, HOW MANY OVER AND UNDER VOTES THERE WERE WHEN IT CAME TO ELECTION DAY. IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE IN THE FORMAT THAT WE GOT EVERYTHING. IN THAT -- IF YOU ASK ME, A BALLOT -- A MARKING DEVICE BALLOT IS MORE SECURE THAN A VALID ON-DEMAND BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET DONE WITH A BALLOT MARKING DEVICE SYSTEM, THAT'S THE SYSTEM WITH THE SCREENS THAT WE TOUCH AND IT PRINTS. IT GETS DONE AND IT PRINTS ONE NAME OUT. IT PRINTS OUT THE NAME OF THE PERSON YOU VOTED ON. IT REDUCES IT TO A BAR CODE. FOR THE RECORD, ALL OF OUR ELECTIONS ARE AUDITED, BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AFTER EVERY ELECTION. AND THERE ARE HAND -- THERE ARE HAND COUNTED AUDITS. AND WE PASSED THEM ALL. AND THEY CHECK THE BALLOTS AND THEY CHECK THE BAR CODES AND WE PASS ALL OF THAT. EVERYONE FLYING COLORS, ALL THE TIME. SO WHEN YOU GET TO THE BALLOT ON-DEMAND WHERE YOU CAN BUBBLE, YOU CAN BUBBLE IN TWO. AND THAT'S AN ISSUE. AND SO AS YOU ARE SCANNING THEM, THEY GET KICKED OUT. AND NOW, DO NOT SPOIL THE WHOLE BALLOTS, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PUT A PIECE OF TAPE OVER THAT PARTICULAR DOUBLE BALLOT OR DOUBLE BUBBLE AND RESEND IT IN. THIS IS ARDUOUS TIME. CORRECT. >> THAT'S CORRECT. WE PRESENT THE BALLOT TO THE PRESIDING JUDGE OF THE CENTRAL COUNTING STATION AND THEY DETERMINE IF IT IS TRULY AN OVERCOAT. IF IT IS, THEY APPLY PEERS OF -- A PIECE OF CLEAR TAPE AND THE STICKER OVER IT SO THE MACHINE CAN READ IT. >> HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW THEY VOTED? >> IT'S UP TO THE PRESIDING JUDGE AT CENTRAL ACCOUNT TO DETERMINE VOTER INTENT. >> SO SOME INDIVIDUAL DECIDES HOW SOMEBODY VOTED BY LOOKING AT IT AND SAYING -- IT'S NOT REALLY A MARKET, NOT TRYING TO BUBBLE IT IN, THERE'S A MARK AND WE HAVE TO COVER THAT UP. >> THAT IS CORRECT. >> THEN YOU GET, AND THIS IS JUST BECAUSE I ASKED, BECAUSE I AM GOING -- THIS IS A LOT. [02:40:04] YOU NOW HAVE THE TOTES, YOU HAVE 177 TOTES THAT WEREN'T SET UP ON THE CURB, THEY WERE BROUGHT IN. THE PLAN IS NOT BEING FOLLOWED. WE DON'T HAVE THE PAPERWORK. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BALLOTS ARE IN A BOX. BUT YOU START COUNTING. AND YOU HAVE POLL WATCHERS THERE. YOU HAVE PEOPLE WATCHING YOU CORRECT? >> CORRECT. >> AND IT'S A LONGER PROCESS THIS WAY. WAS THERE A TIME AS YOU ARE GOING THROUGH THIS, SO YOU STARTED COUNTING ABOUT 9:30, I HEARD YOU SAY. >> YES, SIR. >> IS THERE A TIME WHEN THERE WERE NO POLL WATCHERS WATCHING YOU? >> I THINK THE LAST POLL WATCHER LEFT AROUND 4:30 A.M. >> SO AT 4:30, THE REPUBLICAN POLL WATCHER, THERE IS NOBODY FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THERE WATCHING YOU THAT YOU KNOW OF. >> AFTER 4:30, NO. >> YOU ARE TALKING 4:30 A.M. >> IN THE MORNING, YES. >> AFTER THE LIVE FEED WAS CONTINUOUSLY AVAILABLE. >>> IT WAS. >> JUST NOT IN PERSON. >> JUST NOT THERE. >> SO WE GET DONE, WE HAVE A COUNT OF THE BALLOTS, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BALLOTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THOSE BOXES. WE ARE NOT ENTIRELY SURE HOW THEY GOT TO CENTRAL COUNT. WE DON'T HAVE ANY AFFIDAVITS OR SUPPORTING PAPERWORK. AND SO IF SOMEBODY WERE TO ASK ME OR ASK YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE VOTED, HOW MANY PEOPLE VOTED IN THE REPUBLICAN ELECTION ON MARC. WE KNOW THEY CHECKED IN, SOME WITH THE POLL BOOKS, SOME WERE LATE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T TURN ON THE MIFI TO POPULATES BECAUSE WE ORIGINALLY WERE EXPECTING 70 LOCATIONS OR 170 LOCATIONS, SOME WERE WORKING OFF LIST. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY PEOPLE VOTED TUESDAY IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY ELECTION? >> YES, I DO. IT TOOK US ABOUT A WEEK TO RECONCILE THAT. WE DID NOT RECONCILE IT ON ELECTION DAY. HOWEVER, EVERY SINGLE DAY AFTER THAT, WE PUT OUR PUZZLE BACK TOGETHER, SO TO SPEAK. AND SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT DATA POINTS THAT WE LOOK AT. WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CHECKED INTO THE POLL BOOKS, THE NUMBER OF BALLOTS RUN THROUGH THE SCANNER, HOW MANY BALLOTS WERE ISSUED, HOW MANY WERE RETURNED. SO IT DID TAKE US VERY LONG TIME TO FIGURE IT OUT DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION. THAT'S HOW WE DISCOVERED THE 69 BALLOTS THAT WERE ALIVE BALLOTS IN WITH THE SPOILED OR UNUSED BALLOTS. >> SO JUST GOOD DETECTIVE WORK. >> THEY FINALLY WERE PUTTING AWAY OTHER THINGS AND HAPPENED TO FIND THEM. >> EXACTLY. >> I'VE HAD A VARIETY OF ELECTION JUDGES, I THINK WE ALL HAVE, REACH OUT AND -- EDWARD STROUT IS THE ELECTION JUDGE FOR A LOCATION IN CEDAR PARK. >> YES. >> THIS IS WHAT I SAW THAT HE SUBMITTED. OR LET ME STATE THIS,'S DOUBT WAS THE PRESIDING JUDGE AT THE CEDAR PARK LOCATION. NO ALTERNATE JUDGE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE LOCATION. THE LOCATION WAS ISSUED REPRINTED BALLOTS ALONG WITH A LARGE BLACK AND YELLOW BOX FOR EACH PRECINCT, A SLEEVE OF BLANK ELECTRONIC BALLOTS AND ELECTRONIC BALLOT MARKING DEVICE FOR CURB VOTING, VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. A SMALL BLACK BOX AND YELLOW BOX WAS PROVIDED. STROUT MISTAKENLY UNDERSTOOD THE BOX ABUSE AS PART OF THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES SO HE DEPOSITED THE DEVICE THERE. ARE THOSE BALLOT THAT YOU FOUND THERE? HE GOES ON AND SAYS WE RECEIVED ANOTHER SET OF PRINTED BALLOTS AT 6:25 P.M., DELIVERED BY LORI [02:45:02] GALLAGHER. UPON DELIVERY, WE SIGNED A HANDWRITTEN TRANSFER OF CUSTODY FOR THOSE BALLOT, WHICH INCLUDED SERIAL NUMBER RANGES FOR EACH SEALED PACK. THESE NUMBERS WERE VERIFIED BY COVER SHEET FOR EACH BLANK. WHEN I OPENED, I NOTICED THE SERIAL NUMBER ON THE LAST BALLOT WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE NUMBER LISTED ON THE COVER SHEET. THERE WERE 22 MORE BALLOTS IN THE PACK AND WHAT WERE LISTED ON THE COVER SHEET. WHEN I OPENED ANOTHER PACK, I DISCOVERED THERE WERE 18 MORE BALLOTS THAN WERE LISTED IN THE PACK. I MADE CORRECTIONS ON A HANDWRITTEN TRANSFER OF CUSTODY SHEET AND SUBMITTED. THERE WAS NOT A COVER SHEET ON THE SLEEVE OF THE ELECTRONIC BALLOT SO I CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE ACTUAL COUNT BUT IT WAS REPORTED TO BE 50. I ALSO DID NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED ACCOUNTS FOR THE INITIAL SUPPLY OF PREPRINTED BALLOTS BASED ON WHAT I DISCOVERED. I FIND IT REASONABLY POSSIBLE THAT THE ORIGINAL TOLL MEANT WAS ALSO MISSED -- WAS ALSO MISCOUNTED AT PACKAGING. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS ELECTION WAS CAMPUS. I KNOW HOW MANY BALLOTS YOU COUNTED ONCE THEY MADE IT THERE. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY BALLOTS WERE SENT TO YOU, HOW THEY GOT TO YOU. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY BALLOTS WERE SUPPLIED AND RESUPPLIED AT EACH LOCATION. I AM GLAD I DIDN'T HAVE TO VOTE TO CAMPUS THIS ELECTION BECAUSE I WOULD NOT HAVE VOTED TO CAMPUS THIS ELECTION. IF WE ARE DOING THIS FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY, THIS IS A BEWILDERING TO ME ON EVERY LE LEVEL. AND I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE. MY NEIGHBORS, MY FRIEND DID NOT GET TO VOTE BECAUSE THEY WERE SENT TO DIFFERENT PLACES, AND THEY ARE FRUSTRATED. AND I GOT THE EMAILS. AND I TRIED EXPLAINING THAT THIS WAS THE PARTIES ELECTION. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T BUY IT. THEY KNOW ME. AND NOW I AM SITTING HERE AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THIS IS WHAT I WANT OUR LAWMAKERS TO HEAR IS THAT PRECINCT LEVEL VOTING IN A COUNTY LIKE WILLIAMSON COUNTY WHERE YOU HAVE 450,000 VOTERS, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN DO IT AND MAKE IT MORE SECURE. I DON'T GET IT. AND I WANT THEM TO HEAR THAT. I WANT THEM TO HEAR ABOUT NOW MY MOST FAVORITE CHURCH EVER IS THE HEAD OF DISCOVERY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. IT WAS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS THAT NIGHT BECAUSE WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE VOTING THERE BECAUSE OTHER LOCATIONS DROPPED OUT THE DAY BEFORE. IT WAS A MADHOUSE TRYING TO SECURE LOCATIONS BECAUSE I'M THERE WORKING WITH YOU AND WORKING WITH THE PARTIES TO TRY TO FIND LOCATIONS AND IT WAS DIFFICULT. AND THEY ARE DROPPING OUT BECAUSE THEY EITHER DON'T WANT THE TOXIC THAT WAS COMING THEIR WAY OR THEY SAY I DON'T WANT US REPUBLICANS OR I DON'T WANT JUST DEMOCRATS BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE ARE CHURCHES. I'VE GOT PEOPLE -- THE CHURCH IS WORRIED THAT PEOPLE ARE PARKING ON TOP OF THEIR SEPTIC TANK. I'VE GOT PEOPLE CROSSING -- BECAUSE THERE IS NO PARKING. I'VE GOT PEOPLE CROSSING A REALLY BUSY BOULEVARD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. IT WAS DANGEROUS ON EVERY LEVEL. PEOPLE US ME ABOUT IT AND IT'S WORSE THAN YOU THINK. AND I AM JUST STARTING WITH EARLY VOTING, EARLY VOTING. SO TELL ME ABOUT THE PRIMARY RUNOFF. WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ON THAT? >> FOR THE DEMOCRATS, OUR ORIGINAL CONTRACT IS STILL IN EFFECT. IT COVERED BOTH THE PRIMARY AND PRIMARY RUNOFF. HOWEVER, WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WE VENTURED INTO A FULLY EXECUTED CONTRACT. WE BOTH SIGNED IT FOR THE PRIMARY RUNOFF. WE ARE RETURNING TO COUNTYWIDE [02:50:01] VOTING. WE ARE SHARING LOCATIONS, SHARING RESOURCES. SO WHEN YOU GO INTO A POLLING LOCATION, THERE WILL BE ONE LINE INTO THE POLLING LOCATION. YOU WILL ENTER THE ROOM, THERE WILL BE TWO SEPARATE TABLES. YOU HAVE A REPUBLICAN TABLE, A DEMOCRAT TABLE. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WILL BE USING BALLOT MARKING DEVICES, AND -- IN OUR CONTRACT, WE INCLUDED LANGUAGE. IT'S THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S DESIRE TO USE A BALLOT ON DEMAND SYSTEM WITH ONE BALLOT MARKING DEVICE HOWEVER THAT'S NOT MY RECOMMENDATION AND SO I WROTE THE LANGUAGE INTO THE CONTRACT BECAUSE I AM GOING TO GIVE THEM THE SAME NUMBER OF BALLOT MARKING DEVICES FOR BOTH PARTIES. IF THEY USE THEM, THAT'S THEIR CHOICE. BUT I DON'T WANT THE VOTERS TO GO INTO A LOCATION AND SEE THAT THEY ARE BEING POTENTIALLY DISENFRANCHISED. SO THEY WILL HAVE THAT VOTING EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE TO USE IN CASE THEY GET THEMSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY NEEDED. >> SO THE REPUBLICANS RUN THEIR PRIMARY RUNOFF THE DAY OF. ARE YOU ARE GOING TO SEE TO IT THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE SAME EQUIPMENT THAT THE DEMOCRATS, AND AS MUCH VOTING MACHINES AS THE DEMOCRATS DUE. YOU CAN'T MAKE THE REPUBLICANS USE IT. EVEN THOUGH FROM EARLY VOTING, WE SAW IT WAS 80% CHOSE THAT. I HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS COMMISSIONER LONG DID, THAT I WAS OFFERED WHATEVER I WANTED. AND I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE BOTH CHOICES. AND I THINK THE REPUBLICANS, IF THEY LIKE THE BALLOT ON DEMAND, THEY NEED TO EDUCATE THEIR VOTERS TO GO AND ASK FOR IT. I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL. I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THAT. BUT I KNOW I HEARD FROM THE PEOPLE THAT THEY LIKED THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES. I KNOW I'VE SEEN FROM OUR AUDITS THAT THEY WORK JUST FINE. AND WE HAVE HAD GREAT ELECTIONS USING THEM. SO I AM GLAD THAT YOU ARE GOING TO DISBURSE THE EQUIPMENT AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE. >> COMMISSIONER, AND I SPEAK TO THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, AND THIS WHOLE CONFUSION ABOUT WHETHER YOU HAVE ONE BALLOT MARKING DEVICE OR ENOUGH BALLOT MARKING DEVICES TO PROVIDE AN EQUAL EXPERIENCE FOR PERSON WITH DISABILITIES OR PERSONS WHO ARE ELDERLY? STATE LAW DOES SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF ONE ACCESSIBLE VOTING DEVICE PER LOCATION. THAT IS THE FLOOR THAT IS PROVIDED BY STATE LAW. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THIS IS A FEDERAL ELECTION, AND THERE'S A DISTINCTION BETWEEN FEDERAL ELECTIONS WHERE YOU HAVE U.S. SENATE ON THE BALLOT, CONGRESS ON THE BALLOT AND THE RUNOFF DOES FOR BOTH PARTIES AS FEDERAL OFFICES ON THE BALLOT. THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, THE VOTING ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE ELDERLY AND HANDICAPPED ACT AND SECTION 504 AND 508 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT REQUIRE US AS THE COUNTY, BECAUSE WE PURCHASED A LOT OF THIS MACHINERY WITH FEDERAL FUNDS, PLUS THE FACT THAT THESE ARE FEDERAL ELECTIONS, REQUIRE US TO PROVIDE A REASONABLE NUMBER OF ACCESSIBLE VOTING DEVICES TO AFFORD THE ELDERLY AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES QUOTE, "THE SAME OPPORTUNITY FOR ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION AS FOR OTHERS." THAT'S WHY I'M CONCERNED ABOUT JUST HAVING ONE IN A LOCATION BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A LONG LINE FOR PERSONS WHO ARE ELDERLY OR WITH DISABILITIES, THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME VOTING EXPERIENCE THAT OTHERS WHO ARE NOT SIMILARLY SITUATED HAVE. AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE RISK FOR THE COUNTY IN TERMS OF PROVIDING AN EQUAL VOTING EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE TWO GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS. WE ARE PROHIBITED FROM INQUIRING AS TO WHAT TYPE OF DISABILITY YOU HAVE. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE INVISIBLE DISABILITIES. THEY HAVE PARKINSON'S OR THEY MIGHT BE BLIND IN ONE EYE OR OTHER THINGS. WE DON'T KNOW. AND IN SOME LITIGATION THAT OCCURRED EARLIER, IT'S NOT FOR US TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY HAVE A DISABILITY OR NOT. IT'S NOT FOR THE ELECTION JUDGE TO DETERMINE THAT. >> IS THERE ANY HARM IN HAVING MORE THAN ONE? WE ARE TALKING ABOUT -- >> THERE IS NO LEGAL HARM IN HAVING ADEQUATE -- IN FACT, THAT'S THE CONCERN I HAVE. FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES WE HAVE A SUFFICIENT NUMBER AND THERE IS AN ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION CREATED AFTER THE HANGING CHADS INTO THOUSAND. AND THAT'S ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION HAS PRESCRIBED A CALCULATOR THAT IS USED BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, THE PERCENTAGE UNDER THE SENSES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ELDERLY PER PRECINCT. AND YOU RUN THOSE THROUGH THE CALCULATOR TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF MACHINES. TO BE FAIR, SOME POLLING [02:55:03] LOCATIONS ARE SO SMALL THAT PROBABLY ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT. BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF POLLING LOCATIONS, SUN CITY FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE WHEN YOU COMBINE THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ELDERLY AND WITH DISABILITIES, IT'S EXCEEDING 25% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF PEOPLE IN THE A AREA. ONE MACHINE IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THAT IN ORDER TO PREVENT LINES. >> IF YOU ARE NEAR A NURSING HOME, IT'S PROBLEMATIC. >> YEAH. AND I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIKE ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES. AND I THINK IT'S FAIR TO RAISE THOSE CONCERNS. HOWEVER, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO NOT GET IN TROUBLE IN TERMS OF VOTING RIGHTS WITH PERSONS WHO NEED THOSE ACCESSIBLE DEVICES. >> I HAVE BEEN SO IMPRESSED WITH YOU AND YOUR STAFF. I THANK YOU FOR BEING PROFESSIONAL, I THANK YOUR STAFF ARE BEING PROFESSIONAL AND GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND. I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU MANY TIMES AND EVERY TIME YOU LOOKED TO HAVE GOOD, FAIR, LEGAL ELECTIONS TO THE ENDS. AND I SEE YOU GO THE EXTRA MILE. I SAW YOU GO THE EXTRA MILE OVER AND OVER WHEN IT PROBABLY WASN'T IN YOUR INTEREST AND IT PROBABLY WASN'T NECESSARY BUT I SAW YOU AND YOUR STAFF TO IT, AND I THANK YOU. >> JUDGE, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ONE THING. LORI GALLAGHER TOLD US TODAY WE SHOULD NOT BE PAYING YOU. I WOULD PAY YOU TWICE WHAT YOU ARE ASKING. YOU CANNOT TAKE JOE BLOW LAWYER WHO PASSED THE BAR 20 YEARS AGO AND SAY I WANT YOU TO SUPPORT ME IN INTERPRETING ELECTION LAW BECAUSE I TRIED TO READ IT. IT IS HORRIBLE. AND I THINK WHAT THEY DID IS THE CONSTITUTION BACK IN 1879, 1883 HERE AND 1900. AND THE NEW STUFF GETS SHOVED IN AT THE BOTTOM. AND YOU JUST DIG THROUGH TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DOES DAG SAY SAY ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PIECE? THERE'S ANOTHER RABBIT HOLE TO GO DOWN AND FIGURE OUT AND BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE BACK TO US, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TODAY IN THIS YEAR, THIS CODE. AND I JUST FIND IT DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW. AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND WHAT DO YOU BROUGHT TO THIS GAME, TO GIVE US A FAX. IT IS JUST NOT FOR ANY LAWYER OUT THERE THAT WANTS TO CHARGE $200 AN HOUR. >> I LIKE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO DOUBLE IT. >> COMMISSIONER. >> I'VE GOT A FEW THINGS. ONE, I WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. THE FEDERAL ONLY IS SHOWING UP ON THE SCREEN COMING UP MULTIPLE TIMES, SO I WANT THAT ADDRESS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF CONNECTION, AND SO YOU CAN GO THROUGH THAT IF YOU WANT BUT I WANT TO PURGE PERSPECTIVE ON IT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS IN EARLY VOTING, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 21 PEOPLE THAT VOTED FEDERAL ONLY. 21. ON ELECTION DAY, THERE WERE 29. SO 50 PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOLE THAT VOTED. OUT OF 113. THAT IS .0004%. IS THERE A REASON WHY IT HAPPENED, OTHER THAN THEY WEREN'T HOOKED UP CORRECTLY? >> IT HAS TO DO WITH -- I WILL LET ERIC EXPLAIN IT BECAUSE IT IS DUE TO OUR LAWSUIT. >> I WANT TO NOTE THE COMMISSIONERS COURT IS AWARE, WE STILL HAVE A LAWSUIT THAT WAS FILED BY A NUMBER OF PLAINTIFFS AGAINST WILLIAMSON, BELL, LENO COUNTY AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE REGARDING BALLOT SECRECY IN FEDERAL COURT. >> IS ONE OF THE PLAINTIFFS DR. LAURA PRESLEY? >> YES, THAT IS A LITIGANT IN THE LAWSUIT. THE REST ARE REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL. THAT LAWSUIT WAS DISMISSED BY THE FEDERAL COURT. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE A MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL, AND THEY HAVE ALSO FILED A CONTINGENT NOTICE OF APPEAL. AND SO WHAT I WILL SAY, IT IS ALIVE LITIGATION EVEN THOUGH THE FEDERAL COURT HAS DISMISSED IT. BUT I WILL SAY IS THAT SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED IN THAT LAWSUIT AS WELL AS AN [03:00:04] ADVISORY BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AS YOU RECALL, LED US TO -- WE DISCONTINUED THE PRACTICE OF HAVING THE ELECTRONIC POLL BOOK PRINT THE BALLOT SERIAL NUMBER ON THE BALANCE. I THINK ALL OF YOU WERE ON THE COMMISSION, MAY BE JUDGE SNELL WAS NOT AT THE TIME THAT THE ADVISORY GAME. IT WAS 2024 -- 21, I BELIEVE THE NAME OF THE ADVISORY WAS. AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE DISCONTINUED THE USE OF THE EXPRESS LINK PRINTERS WHEN WE MOVED TO THIS BALLOT ON DEMAND SYSTEM. THAT SYSTEM DID NOT AT THE TIME OF THE PRIMARY ALLOW FOR THE PRINTING OF WHAT WE CALL AN ACTIVATION CODE. THIS IS TO TELL THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICE WHICH IS THE APPROPRIATE BALLOT FOR THAT PHOTO. AND SO WE HAD TO MANUALLY HAVE AN ELECTION WORKER, THERE WAS TRAINING DONE ON THIS, THERE WA, THERE WERE DAILY EMAIL NOTICES SENT OUT TO THE ELECTRIC -- ELECTION WORKERS. WE EVEN POSTED SIGNS IN THE POLLING BOOTHS TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS PROPERLY DONE BY THE ELECTION WORKERS. DESPITE ALL OF THIS, THERE WERE 21 PERSONS EITHER INTENTIONALLY, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE AT LEAST ONE PERSON INTENTIONALLY TRIED TO CAST FROM AN AFFIDAVIT THAT I HAVE ACCESS TO FROM THE ELECTION WORKERS OR UNINTENTIONALLY, MORE LIKELY THAN NOT CAST FEDERAL ONLY BALLADS. WHY ARE THOSE AVAILABLE ON THE MACHINES? THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES, JUST LIKE ALL OF THE PROGRAMMING FOR THE ELECTION IS A SINGULAR ENTITY. THIS IS ALL ONE VOTING SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEM. THE PROGRAMMING HAS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PERSONS WHO HAVE A FEDERAL POSTCARD APPLICATION, MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES ENTITLED WHEN YOU SUBMIT TO VOTE A FEDERAL ONLY BALLADS, EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT RESIDENTS, THEY ARE BY FEDERAL LAW ALLOWED TO VOTE FEDERAL ONLY VALID. SO THAT PROGRAMMING HAS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. NORMALLY NOT VISIBLE TO THE VOTERS BECAUSE THE ACTIVATION CODE WOULD TELL THE MACHINE WHEN YOU STICK THE BALLOT IN, THIS IS FOR WHATEVER YOUR PRECINCT IS AND THEY GET PRESENTED THE CORRECT BALLOT FOR THEIR PARTY. BECAUSE OF THIS, WE HAD NO DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THE BALLOT AND THE MACHINE, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT MANUALLY DONE BY THE ELECTION WORKERS. AND WHEN WE INTRODUCE THE ELECTION WORKERS INTO THIS SCENARIO, THERE IS HUMAN ERROR THAT OCCURS. AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU HAD SOME WORKERS WHO EITHER DID NOT SELECT THAT. >> IT'S GOT TO BE FIXED FOR THE NEXT ELECTION. >> SINCE THE PRIMARY ELECTION,. >> IT'S GOING TO BE FIXED. THE SECRETARY OF STATE ASSISTED WITH SOME HELP. WE WORKED WITH OUR VENDOR AND SO YES, IT WILL BE RECTIFIED BEFORE THE MAY SECOND ELECTION. >> THAT'S ALL I WANT TO KNOW, WHY IT HAPPENED AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN ANYMORE. >> THAT PROGRAMMING WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO US. >> EARLY VOTING HAD STARTED BEFORE WE REALIZED. WE ARE GOING TO RUN OUT OF TIME SOON. >> IT'S ALREADY 4:00. >> NOT FOR ME BUT WE MAY HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK. EQUIPMENTS ALLOCATION. THAT WAS A BIG THING. THAT'S A PROBLEM. THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE GIVEN ON HOW YOU COULD VOTE WHEN YOU CHECK-IN. YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON EITHER ONE OF THOSE? >> WITH BOTH PARTIES IT WAS CLEARLY STATED, BECAUSE WE OPERATE UNDER THE COUNTYWIDE MODEL, WE HAVE A HUNDRED SETS, THAT'S OUR CEILING. 100 SETS OF SCANNERS, EQUIPMENT AND THAT WAS CLEARLY COMMUNICATED. WHEN THE DECISION WAS MADE TO GO TO PRECINCT LEVEL, IT WAS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING SAID I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH EQUIPMENT. IN A PRIMARY ELECTION, I DON'T HAVE TO BUY ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT, I JUST PRESENTED WHAT I HAD. SO IT WAS CLEARLY COMMUNICATED TO BOTH PARTIES THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TO DO SEPARATE PRIMARIES. I ONLY HAVE 100. BECAUSE THE WAY OUR COUNTY METHODIST SET UP, 177 PRECINCT DIVIDED BY 289. >> THANK YOU. AS FAR AS INSTRUCTIONS, MEMBER THOSE GIVEN? >> I BELIEVE SECOND DAY OF EARLY VOTING. WE FIGURED OUT WE HAD A COUPLE THAT ARE ONLY BALLADS CAST AND [03:05:03] THERE WAS MORE CONFUSION. WE REALIZED WE NEED TO TRAIN OUR ELECTION WORKERS WITH THE SCRIPT BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T EXACTLY SURE ON HOW TO FRAME THE LANGUAGE, WE PROVIDED A SCRIPT FOR THEM. >> THERE WERE COMPLAINTS FILED BY INDIVIDUALS FROM THE COUNTY. WE DID IDENTIFY THERE IS CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF HOW PEOPLE WERE PRESENTING IT TO VOTERS -- YOU'RE BEING PUSHED TO ONE IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S CONSISTENT ACROSS THE COUNTY AND THAT'S WHY WE DID THAT. >> I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M EQUALLY APPALLED AT THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF. MY HAT GOES OFF TO THOSE THAT WORK IN YOUR DEPARTMENT. IT WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE FOR THIS COUNTY TO EXPERIENCE WHAT WE EXPERIENCE. IT IS WRONG AND IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. 13 YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE, AROUND THAT TIME, WE LOOKED INTO -- AND I SEE HOSE A BACK THERE NODDING BECAUSE WE INCLUDED HIM FOR THE EXPERIENCE BECAUSE 25% OF OUR POPULATION AT THE TIME WAS HISPANIC. AND WE HAD BOTH PARTY CHAIRS AND VARIOUS FOLKS ON A COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT THE CONCEPT OF COUNTYWIDE VOTING. AND WE LOOKED AT IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF WOOD IT WORK FOR THE HOLE? NOT ONE PARTY OVER AT THE OTHER, IT WAS TRYING TO SEE IF IT WAS THE BEST METHOD FOR THE COUNTY. AND OF COURSE THAT MANY YEARS AGO, WE WERE STILL GROWING TREMENDOUSLY. AT THE TIME, WE DIDN'T HAVE 177 VOTING PRECINCT BUT WE HAD A LOT, AND WE WERE ADDING BECAUSE WE WERE POPPING THEM OUT. OF COURSE YOU CAN NOW ONLY HAVE 5000 REGISTERED VOTERS IN ANY VOTING PRECINCT. SO WE LOOK AT THE OPTIONS AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WAS WHERE WOULD WE SELECT LOCATIONS? AND WE WERE PAINSTAKING ON IT. WE HAD A MAP, WE HAD PINS IN IT. WE MOVED ON AROUND TO SEE WHAT WOULD WORK. AND THERE WAS NO PUSHBACK FROM EITHER PARTY ON THAT. AND FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS WITH ALL OF THE ELECTION SET OF HAPPENS, WE HAVE VOTED SUCCESSFULLY ON COUNTYWIDE VOTING. 2020 HAPPENS AND EVERYTHING CHANGES. THE CONVERSATION CHANGES. NOT THE WAY WE VOTE BUT THE CONVERSATION CHANGES, AND THE CONCERN WAS THAT VOTER INTEGRITY. LET ME JUST SAY, THIS LAST ELECTION DID NOT SURE UP -- IT DID NOT SHOW VOTER INTEGRITY TO ME. I THINK THAT WE CAN DO BETTER BECAUSE WE CAN OFFER BOTH. AND WE CAN DO COUNTYWIDE VOTING. AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING A SMALLER NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT VOTING LOCATIONS, WE DIDN'T ACHIEVE THAT. WE WENT FROM 177 TO 55. WE WOULD HAVE HAD 89, HAD WE DONE IT THE COUNTYWIDE VOTING. WE WOULD HAVE HAD A SMALLER GROUP IN EACH ONE. WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE LONG LINES. EXCEPT FOR THE LAST DAY WHEN EVERYONE WAITED FOR THE LAST DAY TO VOTE EARLY, DID YOU HAVE VOTING LINES? >> WE DID NOT. >> KNOW, YOU DID NOT. AND WE TYPICALLY DON'T BECAUSE YOU CAN VOTE ANYWHERE. IT'S CONVENIENCE. NOBODY GETS DISENFRANCHISED THAT WAY. AND I WILL TELL YOU, FROM SOMEBODY WHO IS EITHER SITTING UP HERE OR NOT BASED ON THE VOTE COUNT, I'M NOT SURE I TRUST THE BUBBLE IN METHOD. AND I WILL TELL YOU WHY. IF WE CAN'T DO IT RIGHT FOR 400,000 VOTERS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT WHEN OUR POPULATION NOT 700 BY THREE OR MILLION PEOPLE? AND BASED ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TOLD ME IN HOW WE WERE LOOKING AT THE BUBBLE IN AND THEY WERE DOUBLE COUNTED OR NOT COUNTED AND PEOPLE WERE MAKING DECISIONS ON THAT -- AND BY THE WAY, IT'S A PRIMARY. SO GUESS WHAT, WHO IS COUNTING THE VOTES? AND MAY BE THEY ARE NOT ONE OF OUR SUPPORTERS. MAYBE IT'S THE OTHER GUYS SUPPORT HER. I JUST FEEL LIKE WE CAN DO BETTER. THERE IS A BETTER WAY AND WE HAVE PROVEN THAT WE CAN. IF WE WANT TO OFFER THE BUBBLE IN FOR PEOPLE TO LOVE THAT KIND OF PAPER, FINE, LET'S DO IT THAT WAY. THEY WILL GO INTO THE BOX, THEY GO DOWN INTO A SECURE LOCATION. THERE WON'T BE 177 OF THEM. FOR ONE THING, IT WILL BE WELL MARKED. TO YOUR POINT, HERE IS THE STACK OF THE FORMS THAT CAME IN WITH [03:10:05] THOSE BOXES. AS AN AUDITOR, I CRINGE. BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU AUDIT SOMETHING THAT IS NOT COMPLETE? WE CANNOT EVER HAVE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. WE CANNOT GO BACKWARDS. WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARDS. THIS CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. WE CAN DO BETTER FOR THE VOTERS AND THE CITIZENS OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY. THAT'S MY COMMENT. >> FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I'M GOING TO REDUCE DOWN BUT THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT CAME UP. ONE OF THEM, IT IS SORT OF IN THE WEEDS BUT IT WAS TALKED ABOUT, THERE WAS A COMPLAINT THAT THE SUPPLIES WERE NOT DISTRIBUTED EQUALLY. CONTRACTUALLY, WHAT WAS THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO GET DISTANCE MARKERS, PARTITIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY? >> AGAIN, IT WAS COMMUNICATED EARLY ON THAT OUR OFFICE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT SEPARATE PRIMARIES. WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR, WE CALL THEM CONSUMABLES, WHICH WAS JUST PAPERS, POST-IT NOTES, PENS, ET CETERA. SO THE SMALL LEVEL CONSUMABLES. >> OKAY. SO CONTRACTUALLY, WHO WAS -- MAYBE IT WASN'T IN THE CONTRACT. >> IT WAS IN THE CONTRACT. >> THAT SAID YOU WEREN'T GOING TO PROVIDE DISTANCE MARKERS OR THE PARTITIONS. >> THAT IS CORRECT. >> OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE THAT CAME UP. AND THE HOT SPOT ISSUE. WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO BE PROVIDED BY CONTRACT BY THE ELECTIONS OFFICE? >> LATE JANUARY, WE WERE AT 117 LOCATIONS. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY STILL HAD A LOT OF LOCATIONS. IT WAS THAT POINT THAT I COMMUNICATED TO THE CHAIR THAT WE'VE GOT ANOTHER PROBLEM HERE. I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HOT SPOTS TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH PARTIES. AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT REDUCING LOCATIONS AT THAT POINT. AND THEN THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ILLUMINATION, MY OFFICE SENT OVER 500 EMAILS TO FIND A POLLING LOCATION. AT SOME POINT, WE GOT DOWN TO 55 POLLING LOCATIONS. THEN WE DID HAVE ENOUGH HOT SPOTS TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH. AND TO THAT POINT, I NEVER COMMUNICATED WITH THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS -- WE NEVER COMMUNICATED PAST THAT TO ADDRESS THE HOT SPOT ISSUE. AND SO I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN EMAIL SENT OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE, SAYING DON'T CONNECT TO THE HOT SPOT. I HAVEN'T SEEN THE EMAIL SO I WON'T SPEAK TO IT BUT EARLY ON -- >> EMAIL SENT BY WHOM? >> BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. I'M NOT SURE WHO. POSSIBLY THE CHAIR OR THE PRIMARY ADMINISTRATOR. BUT EARLY ON, ABOUT 5:45 A.M., WE HAVE A CENTRAL COMMAND CENTER WHERE WE CAN SEE PEOPLE CONNECTING TO OUR SERVER SO WE CAN SEE THEM ONLINE. AND WE NOTICED EARLY ON WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY REPUBLICAN POLL BOOKS CONNECTED. WE HAD A LOT OF DEMOCRATS CONNECTED. SO WE KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. AND SO I CONTACTED MICHELLE AROUND 6:00 A.M. ON ELECTION DAY AND THAT'S WHEN THROUGH OUR CONVERSATION, WE REALIZE THEY WERE NOT CONNECTING TO THE HOT SPOTS. AND SO THERE WERE UPDATES THAT NEEDED TO BE PUSHED OUT THROUGH THE DELTA FILES. ONCE THE REPUBLICAN WORKERS, WE ASKED FOR A LIST OF PHONE NUMBERS TO GET ON THE PHONE AND WE MADE OUTBOUND CALLS AND TOLD HIM THEY HAVE TO CONNECT TO THE HOT SPOT TO THEY CAN RECEIVE THE UPDATES TO THE PULL BOOK. WE GAVE THEM THE NUMBER OF THE DELTA FILES THEY WERE LOOKING FOR. AS SOON AS THEY CONNECTED TO THE HOT SPOT, THEY STARTED GETTING THOSE FILES. SOME OF THEM WERE PROGRAMS, IT DID DISPLAY THE DEMOCRAT. AS SOON AS THEY CONNECTED TO THE HOT SPOT, THEY CHANGE TO REPUBLICAN AND THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO PROCESS VOTERS. >> I WILL KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT FOR THE PRIMARY. AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE THEY WERE ESTIMATING THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE MORE POLLING LOCATIONS AND WE COULD ACCOMMODATE WITH THE ELECTRONIC POLL BOOKS, THEY ORIGINALLY STATED WE WERE GOING TO PROVIDE ELECTRONIC FILES SO THEY COULD HAVE PRINTED POLIS TO USE AT THE POLLING LOCATIONS. OF COURSE, THAT CHANGED THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS OF CONSOLIDATING DOWN FROM 150 LOCATIONS TO 70 TO 50. BUT THAT MIGHT BE THE SOURCE OF THE ORIGINAL CONFUSION BETWEEN THE PARTY AND THE ELECTIONS OFFICE. SO THERE WAS A COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE I THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO SAY THAT. >> THANK YOU. YOU HAVE BEEN RESPONSIVE TO EVERY CALL I HAVE HAD. REGARDLESS OF THE PARTY, THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC OR ANYBODY AFFILIATED WITH ANY PARTY THAT CREATES A HOSTILE WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO RUN AN ELECTION. AND I'M DISAPPOINTED. AS THE FORMER VISE CHAIR OF THE [03:15:02] REPUBLICAN PARTY YEARS AGO, I WOULD NEVER GIVE A VOICE TO SOMEBODY WHO DID WHAT LAURIE GALLAGHER DID. I AM EMBARRASSED BY THAT. >> COMMISSIONER COOK. >> I AM CONCERNED. WE STILL HAVE THIS JANUARY 6 THING GOING ON. WE HAVE CAMERAS EVERYWHERE. SO IS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TRYING TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WHO WERE AT THE ELECTIONS OFFICE DOING NEFARIOUS THINGS? >> I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ASKED THEM TO LOOK INTO IT. >> I WILL SAY THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT THAT WAS FILED WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. YOU MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF IT. THERE WAS A REPORT THAT WAS FILED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS. I DON'T BELIEVE -- AND AGAIN, I'M NOT PRIVY TO LAW ENFORCEMENT MATTERS BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS. YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. >> BRIGID, I HAVE SOME QUES QUESTIONS. I AM ASSUMING THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PERFECT ELECTION. >> THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT ELECTION. WE HAVE BEEN CLOSE SEVERAL TI TIMES. >> TELL THE COURT AND THE AUDIENCE BECAUSE YOU AND I VISITED A COUPLE OF TIMES DURING EARLY VOTING, AS COMPLAINTS ROLE IN, AS WE HEAR, EVEN ON PRIMARY DAY, THAT THESE COMMENTS WERE MADE, THESE THINGS WERE MADE, PEOPLE WERE ALLOWED TO VOTE FEDERALLY, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, TELL THE COURT WHAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF DO AND HOW YOU GET COMMUNICATION OUT EVERY POLLING PLACE TO MAKE SURE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TAKEN IMMEDIATELY? >> THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS WE CAN MAKE IT WITH POLLING LOCATIONS. WE COMMUNICATE VIA PULL BOOKS. WE SEND, A OTA, IT'S AN INSTANT MESSAGE. WE HAVE VOTING TECHNICIANS THAT ROAM THE COUNTY THAT GO AND SUPPORT EACH LOCATION AND CHECK IN TWO OR THREE TIMES PER SHIFT. WE COMMUNICATE THROUGH THEM THAT WAY. WE DO SEND EMAILS, TEXT MESSAGES. WE MAKE OUTBOUND CALLS. MY STAFF IS GREAT AT THAT, THEY CALL IN TO CHECK IN AT POLLING LOCATIONS TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE OKAY. IF THEY NEED ANYTHING, WE SUPPLY THAT. WE ARE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH LOCATIONS. EXCEPT FOR ELECTION DAY, WE WERE NOT. >> IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE DIDN'T ASK THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY? >> I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK THE COURT AND THE SHERIFF FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT, FOR NOT ONLY ME BUT MY STAFF. THIS IS MY TENTH PRIMARY ELECTION AND MY THIRD DIFFERENT COUNTY WITH A HANDFUL OF CHAIRS. THIS WAS BY FAR THE MOST DIFFICULT ELECTION THAT I HAVE EVER ADMINISTERED. I AM VERY HAPPY THAT WE ARE REVERSING COURSE AND DOING WHAT'S RIGHT BY THE VOTERS. SO I'M THANKFUL TO BOTH COUNTY CHAIRS FOR MAKING THIS DECISION TO GO FORWARD. >> THANK YOU. >> NO MORE QUESTIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE MICHELLE EVANS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK UP. YOUR NAME WAS MENTIONED A FEW TIMES. GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU, MICHELLE. >> COMMISSIONER, I'M NOT SURE WHY YOU DIDN'T ASK ME THOSE QUESTIONS BUT HERE WE ARE. AT NO TIME DID I COMMUNICATE TO ANYONE THAT I WANTED THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION TO MEET FOR THE PURPOSE OF FIRING RIGID. AT NO TIME. >> HE WANTED THEM TO CONVENE. >> I WANTED THEM TO CONVENE TWO WE COULD HAVE A PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF WHAT OUR CONCERNS WERE. WHAT WAS HAPPENING WAS I WAS MEETING UP AGAINST THEIR YEARS, EVEN FROM FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. AS FAR AS I WAS TOLD, THEY WERE TOLD NOT TO RESPOND TO ANY MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION. >> BUT THE COMMITTEE CAN ONLY HIRE, FIRE OR SUSPEND. DISCUSSING IS NOT WITHIN THEIR PURVIEW. >> THE COMMISSION MEETS AT THE CALL OF THE CHAIR, WHICH IS THE COUNTY JUDGE. THAT'S WHAT TEXAS ELECTION CODE SAYS. YOUR COUNSEL MAY BE ADVISING YOU DIFFERENTLY THAN YOUR COUNSEL IS ADVISING ME AND THE COUNSEL FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS. BUT WHAT WE WANTED WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS WHAT WAS GOING ON BECAUSE SENDING EMAILS BACK AND FORTH WAS NOT EFFECTIVE IN REALTIME. >> I APOLOGIZE. I GOT THAT WRONG. BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW -- I WILL GO BACK AND LOOK THROUGH MY DOCUMENTATION BUT THAT'S WHAT IT APPEARED TO ME. IF I GOT THAT WRONG, I APOLOGIZE. >> CONNECTING WE WITH -- CONNECTING ME WITH ANY SORT OF THREATS OF VIOLENCE IS [03:20:03] INAPPROPRIATE WITHOUT EVEN DISCUSSING THE ISSUE WITH ME FIRST. AND IN A PUBLIC MANNER. I HAVE NEVER ADVOCATED FOR ANYBODY BLOWING UP HER PHONE OR ANYBODY COMING TO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT. IN FACT, I CONDEMN THAT BEHAVIOR. LAURA PRESLEY DOES NOT REPRESENT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY. SHE DOESN'T. AND NEVER HAS. >> YOUR FACEBOOK POST WAS ON FEBRUARY 23RD. BY FEBRUARY 17TH, I SAW THE EMAIL THAT YOU ARE ON, THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD RESPONDED TO THE TWO SYSTEM QUESTION. SO THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A QUESTION ANYMORE. UNLESS YOU THINK THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE ADVISED YOU WRONG. TO SAY THAT THERE WAS SOME POLICY PUT OUT THERE BY THE COURT OR BY THE EA, THAT WASN'T TRUE EITHER. THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID. >> I DISAGREE. YOU GUYS VOTED TO ADOPT A SYSTEM AND YOU VOTED TO PURCHASE THAT SYSTEM. >> WE DID NOT. WE VOTED FOR THE EA TO MAKE AN APPLICATION. >> THERE WERE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. ONE WAS THE RESOLUTION TO APPLY FOR FUNDS, THE SECOND WAS THE EXPENDITURE TO ADOPT THE BALLOT ON DEMAND SYSTEM. THE WAY IT WAS EXPLAINED BY THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR DURING THAT MEETING, I BELIEVE WAS TO ADOPT THAT AS THE VOTING SYSTEM. SHE WENT THROUGH STEP-BY-STEP -- >> WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO USE IT IN NOVEMBER, AND SHE DID. >> SPECIFICALLY HOW IT WAS GOING TO BE USED IN NOVEMBER AND BEYOND. THERE WAS AN SOS ADVISORY OR AN SOS POWERPOINT THAT WAS PUT OUT ABOUT BALLOT ON DEMAND SYSTEMS. WE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THAT. THAT IS CLEAR. I'M NOT GOING TO DENY THAT. BUT TO SOMEHOW CONNECT THAT DISAGREEMENT WITH THREATS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST SOMEBODY, I THINK, IS COMPLETELY -- >> THAT'S NOT THE CONNECTION I WAS TRYING TO MAKE. >> IT WAS THE CONNECTION THAT WAS IMPLIED. >> WE GO FROM TRYING TO HAVE THE ELECTION COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS THINGS THAT LITERALLY THE NEXT DAY COMES THIS THREATENING TWEET. >> THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME. >> AND ICD TWEET INFORMATION WAS WRONG. AND I SAW YOUR INFORMATION I WAS WRONG WHEN YOU PUT IT OUT THERE. I THINK YOU HAD THE CORRECT INFORMATION BY THE TIME YOU PUT IT OUT THERE. >> YOU AND I CAN DISAGREE ON WHAT THE CONTENT OF MY SOCIAL MEDIA POST WAS BUT AT NO TIME DID I SAY THAT I WANTED TO FIRE THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR. WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS DISCUSSED. AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THE EMAILS THAT WERE SENT TO THE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMISSION, THAT I WANTED TO DISCUSS WHAT WAS GOING ON. WHETHER OR NOT THEY SOS ADVISED SOMEBODY SOME WAY OR THE OTHER, I STILL WANTED TO DISCUSS IT. IT WAS A CONCERN TO ME. IT IS MY RIGHT AS A MEMBER OF THAT COMMISSION TO SAY I HAVE A CONCERN. WHY NOT DISCUSS IT PUBLICLY. INSTEAD OF HAVING TO BEG FOR SOMEBODY HAVING TO RESPOND FOR AN EMAIL. BUT AGAIN, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO IMPLYING THAT ANYTHING I DID TO ADVOCATE FOR REPUBLICAN VOTERS IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH SOMEBODY TRYING TO FORCE FOR THE ENTER A LOCATE -- TRYING TO FORCEFULLY ENTER A LOCATION OR THREATEN BRIDGET AT ANY TIME, I THINK IS A TOTAL MISREPRESENTATION AND A PRETTY GROSS ONE AS WELL. LORI GALLAGHER RAN SUPPLIES FOR ME ON ELECTION DAY. I NEEDED THAT. YES, WE HAD ISSUES WITH SUPPLIES AND OF HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THAT. BUT I AM NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND EXCEPT SOMEBODY SAYING THAT BECAUSE I ADVOCATED FOR WHAT OUR PARTY BELIEVED WAS THE CORRECT DIRECTION OR THE CORRECT INTERPRETATION OF WHAT WAS SAID IN A COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING LAST YEAR AND THROUGH SOS GUIDANCE ON ADOPTING A BALLOT ON DEMAND SYSTEM HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. I THINK IT'S A REALLY BOLD IMPRECATION TO MAKE. >> THEN YOU AND I DISAGREE. AS I SAID, AS I'M SITTING HERE AND I'M HEARING FROM PEOPLE WITE REPUBLICAN PARTY VALID ETHICS COMMITTEE? >> LORI GALLAGHER? SHE IS AN APPOINTED MEMBER OF THE ELECTION INTEGRITY COMMITTEE FROM THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY PARTY. BUT SHE WAS APPOINTED IN JULY OR AUGUST OF 2024. WE FOLLOW ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER IN OUR BYLAWS WITH REGARD TO HOW PEOPLE STAY ON A COMMITTEE. I DON'T HAVE UNILATERAL CONTROL TO JUST SAY YOU SAID THIS. >> YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SAY THAT IS NOT RIGHT. BY THE TIME OUR ELECTION [03:25:04] DEPARTMENT IS UNDER SIEGE, THERE IS A TIME THAT YOU CAN SAY THAT IS NOT RIGHT. >> I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS HAPPENING UNTIL THE NIGHT OF THE ELECTION WHEN I SPOKE TO A DEPUTY. BECAUSE I ASKED WHY THERE WERE SO MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES ON SITES. I DIDN'T KNOW. >> OKAY. >> AND PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS I HAVE OR DON'T HAVE WITH LORI GALLAGHER OR LAURA PRESLEY, I'M NOT GOING TO VOMIT THEM UP HERE. THAT SHOULDN'T BE SOMETHING THAT I SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO DIVULGE. >> IF I GOT IT WRONG, I APOLOGIZE. MY MAIN POINT IS THAT IT WENT FROM EARLY VOTING STARTED TODAY ONE, DAY TWO, YOU ARE TRYING TO CONVENE THE ELECTION COMMITTEE TODAY THREE, DAY FOUR, THERE IS AN INACCURATE TWEET AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FORCE THEIR WAY INTO AN ELECTIONS OFFICE. THAT WAS THE FIRST FIVE DAYS OF EARLY VOTING. THAT'S A LOT. THAT'S A LOT. THAN TO MOVE TO THE ACTUAL DATE OF ELECTION, IT HAS BEEN TRYING, UNNECESSARILY TRYING THE WHOLE TIME. >> I SAT UP HERE AND TOLD YOU THAT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY ACCURATE WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ELECTION DAY. I HAVE NEVER TRIED TO -- I MEAN, BEING IN THE ELECTIONS OFFICE THE NIGHT OF THE ELECTION WAS AND FRANKLY, PERSONALLY QUITE EMBARRASSING. IT WAS A MESS. AND I'M NOT GOING TO DENY THAT IT WAS A MESS. THERE IS I'M NOT TRYING TO WEAVE A TALE WHERE EVERYTHING I DID WAS DONE PERFECTLY. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXECUTE SOMETHING AND EXECUTE IT WELL, AND WE FELL SHORT OF THAT, WELL, SHORT OF IT. >> SO MICHEL, I JUST HAVE THE QUESTION. SO FOUR OF US SITTING UP HERE ARE REPUBLICANS, INCLUDING YOU FIVE OF US ARE REPUBLICANS. AND VOTER INTEGRITY IS OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BOTH SIDES, RIGHT? I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE BYLAWS ARE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. BUT I'M VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SOMEONE WHO IS APPOINTED TO A, LET ME GET IT RIGHT, THE ELECTION'S INTEGRITY COMMITTEE. WHO INTENTIONALLY, DECEITFULLY, DISHONESTLY PUTS STUFF OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT THE BYLAWS ARE TO REMOVE SOMEBODY, NOT ONLY FROM THE COMMITTEE, BUT I DON'T WANT ASSOCIATED WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. I DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT. BUT MAN, SHE'S GIVEN US ALL A BLACK EYE. ALL OF US. [APPLAUSE] >> , YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS, AND YOU GOT TO GO THINK AFTER THE 22 ELECTION, WHERE HER HUSBAND RAN FOR COUNTY JUDGE, THEY SUED JUDGE GRAVELL OVER THE ELECTION RESULTS. AND NOT ONLY WAS IT DISMISSED, SHE WAS SANCTIONED BY THE COURT. IT WAS SO FAR OUT OF LINE. >> AND I BELIEVE SHE WAS COUNTERSUED AND LOST? >> SHE WAS SANCTIONED. >> SO MY QUESTION TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND I'M THE HIGHEST ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THIS COUNTY FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. IS, WILL THAT BEHAVIOR BE TOLERATED? I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE BYLAWS ALLOW THE COMMITTEE TO DO. I'VE BEEN TO ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS, RIGHT? EVERYONE HAS DIFFERING OPINIONS ON THAT. BUT WE CAN'T HAVE AN ARGUMENT ON INTEGRITY WHEN THE ENTIRE FOUNDATION. OF THE ARGUMENT IS DECEPTION, AND DISHONESTY. [APPLAUSE] >> AND JUDGE, LET ME INTERRUPT. THAT INCLUDES COMING TO COURT AND TESTIFYING TO THOSE SAME THINGS, YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT TO US. BELIEVE ME, WE WILL TAKE ANYTHING, ANY, FOR ANY TIME. BUT TO KNOWINGLY DECEIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT DECEIVING US. THEY'RE DECEIVING THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY, AND MICHEL, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND TAKING THE SHOTS. I MEAN, YOU DON'T CONTROL ANYBODY IN YOUR AC. I KNOW THAT. BUT -- >> IT'S NOT IN THE EASY. >> BUT SHE SPEAKS AS IF SHE'S. SHE IS, SHE'S ON A COMMITTEE THAT THE IEC CREATED, AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, IT'S A LINKED. THEY'RE LINKED. AND SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT TRUTH GETTING OUT. OKAY, SO ANYWAY -- >> AND I SUPPORT YOU. AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. AND I KNOW YOUR PHONE NUMBER GOT PUT OUT AND YOU PEOPLE SAY NOT VERY NICE THINGS ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME. I DON'T KNOW YOU GOT ANY THREATS, DEATH THREATS. BUT I MEAN, IT'S LIKE BRIDGET'S JOB IS THANKLESS. THE POLL WORKERS JOB IS THANKLESS. [03:30:03] EVERYBODY JUST TRYING TO MAKE DEMOCRACY WORK, AND ALL YOU DO IS GET YELLED AT ALL DAY, IF YOU HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE FOR THINGS, DON'T WORK RIGHT OR STUFF LIKE THAT. ELECTIONS CAN BE VERY TRYING ON EVERYBODY AND ALL. SO I JUST HOPE -- HOW MANY MEMBERS OF THE EC ARE THERE? >> SOMEWHERE AROUND -- >> 100 PEOPLE ARE IN THAT ROOM REPRESENT HOW MANY REGISTERED REPUBLICANS. DO WE KNOW THAT? >> WE DON'T REGISTER BY PARTY? >> HOW MANY PEOPLE VOTED? WE HAD -- 57,000. >> AND THAT REPRESENTED -- LET'S BALLPARK IT. LET'S SAY THERE'S 450,000 REGISTERED VOTERS. LET'S SAY HALF OF THEM -- >> IT'S ABOUT HALF OF THEM. >> FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT, HALF OF THEM ARE REPUBLICANS PICK GOING BACK TO THOSE ORIGINAL COMMENTS, IF WE'RE TRULY HERE TO TAKE CARE OF THE VOTERS, LET'S LISTEN TO THOSE 225,000. REPUBLICANS AND INDEPENDENTS THAT WANT THEIR ELECTIONS TO BE VERY EASY. STIGMA, THAT WAS MY PLEA, AND OUR MEETING LAST WEEK. WAS WE HAVE A JOB, ELECTED PRECINCT CHAIRS AND MYSELF AS A COUNTY CHAIR. WE HAVE A JOB TO REPRESENT CONSTITUENTS. OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE REPUBLICAN VOTERS. THE ACCUSATIONS OF VOTER SUPPRESSION, COMMENTERS, ZERO INTEREST IN ME TRYING TO SUPPRESS MY OWN VOTERS' VOTES INTENTIONALLY. THERE'S NO UPSIDE. AND WHAT DO THE DEMOCRATS DO IN THEIR OWN PRIMARIES IS NOT MY CONCERN. SO THAT WAS NOT EVER THE INTENT. THE EXECUTION, LIKE I SAID, WAS -- >> AND I KNOW THE PARTY HAS SOME VERY PASSIONATE PEOPLE ABOUT PAPER BALLOTS AND ABOUT ELECTION INTEGRITY. BUT MAN, 2026, WE LIVE IN ELECTRONIC WORLD AND YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS A HUMAN ERROR IN EVERYTHING. YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME THAT PAPER BALLOT THAT MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT END UP IN A BOX IS MORE SECURE THAN ELECTRONIC. [APPLAUSE] THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S ABOUT, BECAUSE I KNOW POLITICAL PARTIES, WE ARGUE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FENCE FOR WHATEVER REASON. IT'S LIKE, LET'S FIGHT, LINE UP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ARGUMENTS. THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S ABOUT. LET'S COME TOGETHER AND VOTE. >> AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE OPEN DISCUSSION AND OUTSIDE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE ELECTIONS MORE SECURE AND STILL OFFER OFFER THAT RIGHT TO PEOPLE AS GOD INTENDED US TO DO, RIGHT? >> AND IN MICHELLE'S DEFENSE, SHE HAD SOME VERY REAL CONCERNS WHEN THE EARLY ELECTION STARTED ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND ALL THOSE CONCERNS, WHETHER IT WAS FROM MICHELLE OR WHOEVER, WE GOT AN EMAIL, A PHONE CALL, KNOW, WHATEVER, WE INVESTIGATE ALL OF THEM. WE GOT WITH BRIDGET AND EVERY SINGLE DAY, SHE MADE ADJUSTMENTS AND SENT IT OUT TO THE POLL WORKERS. SO THOSE THINGS CAN BE RECTIFY. WE GOT SOME OTHER THINGS. WE DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT TODAY THAT WERE PROBLEMATIC. BEYOND PARTY CONTROL THAT WE HAVE TO WORK OUT AS A COUNTY, TOO. BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL ALL WORK TOGETHER TO HAVE A GOOD RUNOFF, AND I'M CONFIDENT NOVEMBER WILL BE A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR VOTERS. >> AND JUDGE, I JUST WANT TO SAY, I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING VERY DIFFICULT, HIGHLY PAID JOB AS PARTY CHAIR. [LAUGHS] >> SO HIGHLY PAID. >> IF YOU VOTED FOR A RAISE, IT BE 100 PERCENT OF ZEROS TO ZERO. BUT -- SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO AND HAVING BEEN VICE CHAIR BEFORE. IT IS A VERY THANKLESS JOB. AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I'M THANKFUL THAT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE VOTED TO MOVE BACK TO COUNTYWIDE VOTING FOR THE RUNOFF. I THINK THAT WILL HELP WITH A LOT OF THE CONFUSION, AND I THINK TODAY, EVERYBODY NEEDED TO HAVE A CHANCE TO GET THINGS OFF THEIR CHEST AND EVERYTHING'S. BUT I HOPE THAT AFTER TODAY, WHERE DONE AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, THERE. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RUNOFF AND THAT NOVEMBER ELECTION, AND SO ANYWAY. I THANK YOU, AND LIKE I SAID, I KNOW IT WAS A 3 1/2-HOUR MEETING. BUT EVERYBODY NEEDED TO HAVE A CHANCE TO SAY WHAT THEY NEEDED TO SAY. BUT I AM NOW LOOKING FORWARD TO CLOSING THAT CHAPTER AND MOVING FORWARD. AND I KNOW YOU PROBABLY ARE, TOO. >> I JUST WANT TO -- MICHAEL IS TO WORK ON SOLUTIONS. PICKING AT SCABS -- >> NO, YOU'VE DONE GREAT. YOU'VE OWNED IT AND YOU'RE WORKING ON SOLUTIONS. I APPRECIATE THAT. >> THANKS. [2. Comments from Commissioners.] [03:35:01] >> THANKS. [APPLAUSE] ALL RIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS? PRECINCT ONE IS GOOD? PRECINCT TWO. >> GOOD. >> PRECINCT THREE? >> I'M GOOD. >> , ARE YOU OKAY? >> I'LL SETTLE DOWN. >> ALL RIGHT. AND THANK YOU ALL TO EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. LOOK FORWARD TO AGAIN, GREAT ELECTIONS COMING UP AND JUST THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS TODAY. APPRECIATE YOU BEING A PART OF THAT PROCESS. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SENT US LETTERS AND EMAILS, TOO. ALL THOSE CONCERNS HELP MAKE US BETTER. ALL RIGHT. Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY. WE ARE ADJOURNED * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.