CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Election fidelity is an issue at the top of nearly every voter’s mind this election season.
Six residents are bringing the issues in Nueces County to the forefront in the form of a lawsuit.
They allege there has been at least four different incidences have shaken their confidence in our local election process since 2016.
“We think of elections and voting as being very well organized, and scientifically done and it's a surprise when you realize it’s not,” said Attorney David Bright.
Bright is making a heavy allegation, especially as concerns over election fidelity run rampant. He knows because he’s witnessed it.
“The county clerk's office sent out instructions to about fifteen hundred mail in voters and those instructions were wrong and they admit that,” said Bright.
Bright is now representing six Nueces County residents in a lawsuit filed with the county over this situation. They allege “the placement of these additional requirements interferes with each of the plaintiff’s exercise of their constitutional right to vote.”
“Some of them were when they received the letter and they realized that they were being asked for things that they had never been asked for before and they couldn’t understand that and these were all people that knew enough about the process to know something was wrong,” said Bright.
On the other hand, “some of my clients were saying well does that mean my vote doesn’t count. does that mean that I’m supposed to show and vote? If I show up and vote am, I given a provisional ballot,” said Bright. “Once you deviate from the requirements of these elections it becomes confusing to people.”
Bright says there has been other issues with the election process since 2016. There are three other examples listed in the lawsuit.
The first stemming back to 2016 when he alleges the Nueces County Clerk Kara Sands failed to count early votes that had been cast until it was brought to here attention.
The second in 2017 when an incomplete ballot was presented to several voters in Robstown. Those ballots did not include their local races.
The third in 2018 when two issues plagued voters at the polls. Opening after the legislatively mandated time of 7:00 a.m. and an insufficient amount of working voting machines.
So, why bring this up now, with merely weeks until the November 2020 election?
“Suddenly you question everything else about it. you say, well if that’s wrong are they counting my vote, do I send them the thing without these requirements that they told me were on there? I think that it calls the whole election into question for that voter. Are they counting my vote? Are they treating this like a provisional ballot, what’s the deal?” said Bright.
Bright hopes this lawsuit can be a learning situation.
“I hope that this lawsuit brings to light what actually does happen and perhaps encourages the county to be a bit more careful in these matters. double and triple check things,”