Texas Secretary of State’s Office Announces Election Audits

AUSTIN, Texas – What the Texas Secretary of State’s office is calling a “comprehensive” audit of the 2020 presidential election is now underway in the state’s largest Democratic and Republican counties — Dallas, Harris, Tarrant and Collin.

In a brief announcement, the office said it anticipates the state legislature stepping in to provide funds for this purpose.

The announcement came hours after former President Donald Trump called on Gov. Greg Abbott to add an election audit bill to the current special session of the Texas Legislature. 

In an email to supporters, Trump said, “Just heard Patriots are moving the Texas Audit Bill forward. Texas State Senator Paul Bettencourt filed Senate Bill 47, legislation that authorizes Texans to initiate a strong and real Forensic Audit of the 2020 Presidential Election Scam—not a weak risk-limiting audit that is being slow-walked through the Secretary of State’s office. 

“Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a great guy, sent the bill to the State Affairs Committee the very same day, and it should quickly pass through the Senate. There is still time for the House to take up the issue in the Third Special session with House Bill 16,” he continued.

Trump went on to thank “Dan and Paul for their bold leadership, and for listening to Texans who are demanding answers about Nov. 3. Everyone feels certain Governor Abbott will follow suit.”

So far, according to media reports from Texas, Abbott has not responded.

A similar audit in Arizona’s Maricopa County recently ended and concluded President Joe Biden won that state’s most populous county, which provided him the winning margin there.

Trump won Texas by 5.6 percentage points in the 2020 election, although three of the four counties to be audited – Dallas, Tarrant and Harris – went for Biden. 

Officials from those counties told the Texas Tribune that “the development is an unnecessary partisan move aimed at sowing doubt in the results.” 

The position of secretary of state has been vacant since the end of May, when Ruth Hughs resigned after the Texas Senate declined to take up her nomination.

Meanwhile, the Texas legislature is currently in the midst of its third special session of the year, taking up, among other things, the redrawing of the state’s political maps.

As for Trump, he predicted on Friday that the Texas audits will have “a big impact” on the 2022 and 2024 elections in the state.

“Texas will always be red, but we must stop the cheating,” Trump said. “Keep it up and get this bill over the finish line. … Let’s make sure the great people of Texas believe and trust their elections.”