Wichita County will get training for future elections
The November 2020 election in Wichita County was riddled with problems, but the county will take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again. That was the message at Monday’s meeting of the Commissioners’ Court.
After some citizens claimed irregularities in the election, County Commissioner Mickey Fincannon and new County Clerk Annette Stanley investigated their concerns, especially regarding mail-in votes. Critics claimed the election produced more votes than there were voters.
More:County residents ask for independent audit of 2020 election results
The county probe uncovered a large box in a warehouse filled with some of the ballots and supporting materials. Fincannon said accounting of those materials came close to matching numbers sent to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, the agency that oversees elections in the state. The figures were within one percent.
“I’m amazed at how close we got,” Fincannon said. “We were trying to put together a puzzle with pieces from 2 1/2 years ago and we don’t have them all.”
He said there was nothing about the election he liked.
More:Election critic wants cash from the county
“The record-keeping wasn’t pretty,” he said. “It was probably a positive thing for the county to realize it was so bad so we can see our failures. It won’t be that way in the future.”
New leadership took over the County Clerk’s Office when Stanley won the 2022 election to replace retiring County Clerk Lori Bohannon.
State office sending trainers to help with future elections
County Judge Jim Johnson said he has been in touch with the Secretary of State’s Office and that office will be sending trainers in to help the local election team on running elections and properly retaining records. He said the company that makes the county’s election equipment will also be sending in trainers.
“I think everyone on this court shares a desire and understanding that trust in free and fair elections and the veracity of those is the cornerstone of our government,” he said.
2021 election also under review by citizens
Annie Jackson, who has been outspoken in her concerns about the 2020 elections told commissioners documentation is also missing from an election in 2021.
“That’s a crime,” Jackson said. “If people aren’t reprimanded for actions they took against all of our community … what will they try to do again? If this court or no one will stand up and say we have a problem and we need somebody with a badge to look at it.”
Fincannon said residents had taken their complaint to the Sheriff’s Office.
“As far as I know as of right now that complaint was forwarded to the Secretary of State,” he said.
Johnson said the Sheriff’s Office was checking with the Secretary of State’s office for an update on the complaint.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita County will get training for future elections
