Democrats decry creation of Tarrant’s election task force while speakers show support

Tarrant County commissioners were briefed on the new election integrity task force Tuesday for the first time since it was announced Feb. 7, and the issue drew a crowd.

More than 60 people submitted public comments, and 22 showed up to speak in person during the four-and-a-half-hour-long commissioners meeting.

Nearly all speakers — which included poll workers, election judges and precinct chairs who said they believed there was something wrong with Tarrant County’s elections — supported the initiative.

Tarrant County has not received a complaint of voter fraud since the 2020 presidential election, and its voting machines, in use since November 2019, create a paper trail.

The task force was created by the district attorney and sheriff’s offices to look into complaints of voter fraud and other election issues. Organizers said investigators and deputies will look into claims and their work will not require additional funding from the county’s $904.7 million budget. Those involved in the task force will be trained on election and government code.

No Democratic leaders were involved in the task force’s creation, and neither was county elections administrator Heider Garcia. Garcia was not present at Tuesday’s meeting and did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

County Judge Tim O’Hare supported the creation of the task force, but none of the four commissioners received word of it before its announcement. All four told the Star-Telegram the task force was a matter they would have liked to discuss at court.

The creation of the task force follows promises from Republican candidates to dig into the elections process.

District Attorney Phil Sorrells promised the task force during his campaign, and O’Hare advocated for an election integrity officer who would look into fraud and report back on best election practices to the sheriff, county judge and another commissioner.

O’Hare told the Star-Telegram during a Feb. 8 news conference that he’s abandoned that plan now that the task force exists.

“I think this is even better,” he said.

Those with concerns or tips about the county’s elections are being asked to call 817-884-1213.

Discussion about the creation of the task force began with O’Hare clarifying he had no part in creating it but that he was a full supporter. Sheriff Bill Waybourn told the court no one said anything was wrong with Tarrant County elections and that the creation of the force was an effort to centralize complaints and give people a place to go.

Four Texas counties — including Tarrant County — participated in an audit of its elections at the request of former president Donald Trump. Tarrant County’s audit came back with no issues.

Democrat commissioner Alisa Simmons asked Waybourn what data spoke to the need for the task force. He said he received 60 phone calls and emails.

The District Attorney’s Office is not investigating any election fraud claims from the 2020 election. Four cases from 2018 are pending.

Simmons mentioned the county’s 2.1 million population.

“Your investigators don’t have anything else to do?” Simmons asked. She was met by groans from the audience, and one person said, “This is pretty important.”

Republican commissioner Manny Ramirez said he believed free and fair elections were the backbone of democracy and didn’t see anything wrong with a triple-check on elections. Democrat commissioner Roy Brooks expressed concern that the task force would give the county the ability to deny election results. Waybourn said he was no conspiracist and that the task force was about addressing concerns.

Brooks said he would be a watchdog of the task force, but worried about getting legal advice because of the involvement by the district attorney’s office.

O’Hare said he has heard concerns that the task force is intimidating, but added that the only people who should be concerned are the ones who are trying to break the law. He said the task force wasn’t formed to disparage the elections department but to increase security and efficiencies.

Simmons told O’Hare she would have liked notice about the task force before it was created, and O’Hare said he did not want to violate open meetings laws. Simmons said they could have found out about the task force just like they find out about other events through commissioners court.

Most who showed up to comment on the agenda item told the court they supported the task force’s creation and liked that it gave them an outlet to file complaints.

”We should all want honest elections,” one woman said. “The task force is not a political or partisan group. They are employees under the supervision of our sheriff and district attorney who will be tasked to investigate any concerns or complaints about the election process, resulting in a restored confidence in our election system.”

Another said her concern with the task force was that it did not focus enough on preventing election fraud.

Tarrant County officials have worked to inspire confidence in its elections process after former president Donald Trump made false claims of a stolen election.

A Texas elections law passed in 2021 added protections for partisan poll workers, required matching information on mail-in ballots and voter registration applications, and expanded voting hours though it prohibited drive-through and 24-hour voting.

The law also required counties with more than 100,000 residents to show their counting rooms on a live stream. As a result, all of Tarrant County’s counting rooms are equipped with cameras for a live broadcast on election nights.

Tarrant County commissioners held a special meeting in April 2022 to address resident concerns about the elections process. Garcia also opened his office doors during the 2022 midterm so residents could participate in a mock election as poll workers tested the machines.