Questions linger after state announces audit of 2020 election results in four Texas counties

AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) — Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and county leaders are reacting to the state’s plans to audit four Texas counties’ November election results.

On Thursday, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office announced it will audit the 2020 election results in the state’s four largest counties: Collin, Dallas, Harris and Tarrant.

This announcement happening just hours after former president Donald Trump requested Governor Greg Abbott to add an Election Audit Bill to the state legislature’s third special session agenda.There has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the Texas secretary of state who oversaw the 2020 election declared it “smooth and secure.”

“I know in 2020 the Harris County Commissioner’s Court approved two security audits,” Hidalgo said on Friday. “They were conducted. They came back clean. Our election systems work. All of us, we vote. We watch news of people voting. We know that it is safe and secure. We know all of this is a sham.”

Harris County Elections administrator Isabel Longoria said their office did not receive further instructions or details about the announced audit.

“Having had no heads up,” Longoria said, “Having been given no questions, having heard no concerns from the Secretary of State. I’m now being blindsided about an audit that we have no information on and no direction on. And so my job is to protect the voters of Harris County.”

Political Science Professor at Rice University Mike Jones said he believes this is a politically motivated move in response to Trump’s recent demand.

“I would not take this election audit too seriously,” Jones said. “This is just Gov. Abbott trying to get himself out of a political pickle that Donald Trump created for him with that letter. I don’t think that the Governor really intends too much of anything, just go through the motions, such so that he can at least say on face surface he looked into the matter and didn’t find anything. Because those of us who are on the ground know that there isn’t anything to find.”