So it would appear, according to Fort Bend Now.

Fort Bend County Elections Administrator J.R. Perez is concerned that the county wonÂ’t be able to handle an anticipated high voter turnout at the March 4 primary elections, and heÂ’s taking that concern to county Commissioners Court today.

Florida experienced a 45% voter turnout – three times the normal turnout – and California also saw numbers approaching triple its normal voter turnout, Perez said.

“If we have even two times the normal turnout, it would be 35% to 40%” of the voters turning out in Fort Bend County, Perez said Tuesday morning. “We don’t have the equipment to handle a 40% turnout. No matter what I do, I don’t have enough equipment.”

Excuse me? You donÂ’t have the machines to handle a 40% turnout? What were you planning to do in November, during the general election?

And then there is this asinine statement.

Perez said he has been calculating the anticipated amount of time it will take people in various Fort Bend County precincts to vote in the March election, giving the anticipated high turnout, and the number of available election workers and voting machines.

In numerous cases, he found it would require 14 hours or more in order for everyone to cast their ballots.

Unfortunately, poll locations are only open for 12 hours.

Not exactly true.

While polling places in Texas are open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Election Day, state law requires that every voter in line at 7:00 PM be permitted to vote before the polls are closed. And while this might cause the precinct conventions to start late in many precincts, that inconvenience is a small price to pay to ensure that every voter does get to vote.

But if Fort Bend County Elections Administrator J.R. Perez doesn’t realize that the polls must remain open – after not ensuring that the county had sufficient voting machines – then perhaps he needs to be replaced.

Posted by: Greg at 09:52 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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