Today, the Harris County Commissioners Court is forced to take action to comply with Senate Bill 1750, a new state law that forces Harris County, and only Harris County, to eliminate the position of elections administrator and revert election duties to a bifurcated system, where the Tax Assessor-Collector maintains voter registration and the County Clerk administers elections. Below is Harris County Rodney Ellis’s statement on that action:

“Eliminating the office of our elections administrator just over two months before voters head to the polls for a major election is a serious challenge for our county, but one we will overcome. Today, we will take important steps toward transitioning back to the previous, bifurcated election system. With the actions taken today, Harris County voters can be confident in an accessible November 7, 2023, General Election.

“Yet voters should remain wary of the Legislature’s determination to interfere in our local elections. Whether it’s banning drive-thru voting in 2021 or abolishing the Harris County elections administrator’s office, we are on the front lines of a coordinated attack from state leaders who are intent on subverting our elections because they fear our diverse and powerful electorate. Harris County voters can trust that we’re doing everything in our power to protect their right to vote in fair and free elections this November and beyond.”