Voting "Glitch" 🤯

Sunday, November 24, 2024

Good evening:

At least 3,966 Dallas County residents cast votes on the wrong ballots earlier this month.

This is according to the county’s own elections chief, who cited problems with voting software on the first days of early voting.

“The 3,966 incorrect ballots cast mean those voters either filled out ballots without races they should have participated in based on their residency — or voted in races they should not have,” Dallas Morning News reporter Tracey McManus writes.

In the city of Dallas alone, Election Administrator Heider Garcia says the number of incorrect ballots cast was 1,755, which he says is not enough to change the outcome of any race.

Controversial Dallas Charter Proposition U, which forces the city to allocate new revenues to fund police pension and pay, and the hiring of 900 new officers, passed by 3,204 votes. It was the closest race on the city ballot and it has already had a significant negative impact on the city’s financial outlook.

During a Tuesday City Council meeting to sign off on the election results, Dallas City Council members expressed alarm over the voting problems. But City Attorney Tammy Palomino told them they had no choice but to conduct their “ministerial duty” and accept the results, no matter how flawed they may have been.

“The City doesn’t have an opportunity to challenge the count of the votes. They don’t have an opportunity either to contest the results,” Palomino said. “Your ministerial duty is to accept the canvassing today.”

“Even though we have evidence that the count may not be accurate,” Council Member Paul E. Ridley asked.

[Long pause.]

“Yes,” Palomino responded.

City Council members ultimately voted as they were directed and approved the election results. But they signaled this likely will not be the end of the matter.

Council Member Cara Mendelsohn said she plans to call a meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating & Ethics, which she chairs, to delve further into the issues.

State law also allows “one or more qualified voters of the territory covered by the contested election to intervene as contestants or contestees” through the courts.

Close observers said the results of the city Charter signaled a call for more local government accountability.

The County is expected to send City Hall about a $2.2 million bill for running the most recent election. We will find out in the coming weeks what accountability looks like.

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⚡ Highlights From Last Week’s Meetings of Interest:

— Dallas City Council members also voted Tuesday to appoint Bart Bevers as interim inspector general in a newly created position that now reports directly to City Council members. Voters approved a Charter amendment earlier this month to create the position to investigate fraud, corruption, ethics, waste and abuse. Bevers has served since 2022 as the city’s inspector general reporting to the city attorney. His annual salary in the new post will be $190,550.

— City Center Tax Increment Financing District Board members approved a $49 million subsidy for the West End Lofts development, a mixed-use, mixed-income, and transit-oriented development at 805 Elm Street, 711 Elm Street, and 211 N. Austin Street. The approval included a contingency that best efforts be made to incorporate 2 sq ft. per unit of pet exercise/relief areas into the project. The item is expected to go before the City Council Economic Development Committee on Dec. 2 and before City Council for a vote on Dec. 11.  Read more about the project in documents submitted to the City earlier this year. 

— City Plan Commissioners deferred to Dec. 5 a decision on a proposed new subdistrict to allow for a supergraphic advertising sign on the east wall of The Lawyers Building on Main St. near S. Austin St.

Thanks to DDI's Nikia Summerlin, Urban Planning Manager, for monitoring hours of meetings every week and contributing to these summaries.

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🦃 The Dallas City Council is not holding any meetings this week. I am forever thankful for your loyal readership. Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving!

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Have a great week.

Best,

Scott Goldstein

Communications & Government Relations Consultant

Downtown Dallas, Inc.