New details about a 2020 elections Audit from the Secretary of State’s office have been released. Phase one has already begun for an audit of Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, and Collin counties.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins says it's purely political.
The audit was announced several hours after former President Donald Trump called for one in the state.
“What they will find is that their elections are free, fair and transparent, and they will release that information after the primaries are over with on a Friday before a holiday at like 4:55 in the afternoon,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
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In a Fox News interview Sunday, Governor Greg Abbott said the audit has been underway for months and the state has a responsibility to ensure election integrity. The Secretary of State's office released some details, saying phase one includes testing the accuracy of voting machines, assessing cybersecurity, and looking for ineligible voters who may have cast ballots in 2020.
“After the elections, we do an audit, we do a manual recount, a partial manual recount so those records are in their hands,” said Bruce Sherbet, the Collin County Elections Administrator.
Much of what is in phase one, counties are already required to do. Phase two, begins next year. It involves reviewing ballots, lists of registered voters, signatures and how ballots are handled once ballots are cast.
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“If that will make some people happy and give them more confidence, then so be it. We feel very comfortable with the tallies and the votes that came from our elections folks,” said Judge Glen Whitley of Tarrant County.
The second phase will begin next year, but it's not clear when the audit will be completed or when results will be made public. The Secretary of State’s office says no outside groups will be used to conduct the audit, and expect the Texas Legislature to put aside money for it.
