Hand Count Reforms to the Texas Election Code
WHEREAS, public confidence in the election process in Texas and nationally has eroded as election systems have become more centralized, computerized, and convenient, resulting in the deterioration of the security and integrity of our election process, and
WHEREAS, data provided by cybersecurity experts in recent years demonstrates that unauthorized intruders can readily access Texas election systems including but not limited to our computerized tabulation systems, and
WHEREAS, Texans have unwittingly placed their trust in centralized computer systems which differ significantly from the decentralized election protocols used by our founders that allowed voters to understand, control, secure, and audit our election process from beginning to end, and
WHEREAS, action is urgently needed to provide transparency, accuracy, and verifiability to our upcoming elections, to restore the integrity and security of our elections, and to protect the sovereignty of the State of Texas.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this body hereby petitions Governor Greg Abbott to make public trust in Texas elections a number one priority by calling for a special session of the Texas Legislature to make common sense reforms which are urgently needed to secure Texas elections and restore confidence in our election system.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that these reforms should – at a minimum – include the following:
i) Allow each authority holding an election the flexibility to use additional hand counting methods that are more efficient and transparent than the method set out in Chapter 65 of the current election code.
ii) Allow the use of video to document the counting process for purposes of verifiability and transparency.
iii) Make other common-sense reforms to our election systems and processes to make the above changes possible for the 2023-2024 election cycles and all election cycles going forward.
iv) Adopt clear language allowing the authority holding an election to conduct hand count audits in addition to the audits listed in the Texas election code.
09.05.2023