AUSTIN--The League of Women Voters of Texas president, Grace Chimene, issued the following statement in response to the Texas Secretary of State ordering needless and partisan election reviews of the 2020 election in 4 Texas counties. 

“Our 2020 election was above reproach. During recent legislative committee hearings on election bills, the Secretary of State’s office testified that the November 2020 election was smooth and secure.  Yesterday, former president Trump demanded that Governor Abbott include more partisan election reviews on the agenda for the third special session. Shortly thereafter, the acting Secretary of State announced they are conducting a review of the 2020 election in 4 counties in Texas.  The partisan call for election reviews is needless and a waste of time for our hard-working elections officials. 

We know that political extremists have forced illegitimate election reviews in several other states. In each instance, nothing was found. Nevertheless, the states had to pay for these reviews and for the damages to the election equipment. Now the Texas Secretary of State has called on the Legislature to fund the current reviews in our state. Taxpayer money should not be spent on such a pointless exercise. 

The results in Texas from the 2020 election are clear — one party's candidates carried the presidential election and every statewide seat, just as they have since the mid-1990s. These reviews are a waste of state resources and taxpayer money. They undermine the hard work of county election officials and workers. They are aimed at ripping our election process apart and undermining our democratic foundation.

Join the League of Women Voters of Texas in telling Governor Abbott and Texas legislators that we believe election reviews are needless and a waste of time and taxpayer money.  We need to move forward! Texas must say NO to outside pressures that do not serve Texans’  interests. We have real priorities that require real solutions.  We deserve leaders who will put Texas first.”