Texas bill would let state secretary redo county election during ballot shortage

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The Texas state senate passed a bill that would give the state secretary the authority to order an election be redone if ballot shortages hinder voters.

Texas Senate Bill 1993 grants the Texas secretary of state the right to redo elections in high-population counties if 2% or more of their polling locations are out of ballots for an hour.

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The Texas State Capitol (Getty Images North America / File)

The bill is intended as a safeguard after multiple Harris County polling places experienced ballot shortages during the 2022 midterm election.

Counties subject to the proposed law must have a population of at least 2.7 million residents.

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Harris County, which includes the city of Houston and has a population approaching 5 million, is the only Texas county to meet this requirement.

Downtown city skyline over Root Square in Houston, Harris County. (iStock)

The bill must now be approved by the Texas House of Representatives. If passed, the bill would take effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

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In addition to ballot shortages, Harris County's 2022 midterm voting locations also suffered delayed openings and improperly printed ballots on incorrectly sized paper.