Texas sues Harris County clerk over voter ads allegedly targeting racial, ethnic groups
HOUSTON - The Texas Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Harris County clerk and the clerk's office’s communications director alleging the county is violating the Texas Constitution by targeting certain racial and ethnic groups with voter awareness advertisements.
Texas lawsuit against Harris County
According to the lawsuit filed Oct. 29, the Harris County Elections Department has been running Facebook and Instagram advertisements encouraging residents to "Plan. Check. Vote!" ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
The state alleges the advertisements specifically target African American, Asian and Latino audiences through interests such as "African-American history," "Hispanic kitchen" and "Latin dance."
The lawsuit argues that county officials violated the Texas Constitution's equal rights protections by targeting voter awareness advertisements toward certain racial and ethnic groups, but not others.
By the numbers:
According to the filing, the county spent an estimated $43,429 on advertisements over the past 30 days.
State seeks emergency court order
What's next:
The state is requesting a temporary restraining order requiring Harris County to immediately deactivate the advertisements or remove the racial and ethnic targeting criteria.
It is also seeking temporary and permanent injunctions prohibiting similar advertising practices.
The request comes as early voting ends Friday, Oct. 30, ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Dig deeper:
The attorney general’s office says Attorney General Ken Paxton recused himself from the lawsuit because he is a candidate in the Nov. 3 midterm. He is running against Democrat James Talarico for U.S. Senate.
Harris County clerk responds
The other side:
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth's Office issued a statement Thursday night in response to the lawsuit.
"The Harris County Clerk’s Office does not engage in political rhetoric, nor do we seek to influence how any individual votes for a candidate or a ballot measure," the statement reads. "Our responsibility is to administer fair, transparent, and accessible elections in accordance with federal and Texas election laws, and to ensure that every qualified voter has the information needed to exercise their right to vote."
Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin gave this statement, saying, in part:
"We believe the County's efforts to ensure all voters in our diverse county have access to voter information are legal, and do not want a pathetic political distraction by Ken Paxton to take away from election operations."
The Source: The information in this article comes from a lawsuit filed by the Texas Attorney General's Office and a statement from the Harris County Clerk's Office.