Kerr and Kendall Counties

[SARose]

A little brain wiggle last night - something, something Kerrville and voting.

Aha!

Distrust of voting machines throws a Texas county’s election planning into chaos
BY NATALIA CONTRERAS, VOTEBEAT AND THE TEXAS TRIBUNE
OCT. 13, 2023

Responsibility for running elections in Kerr County has shifted among three different people in the past two months. The first two officials bailed on the job after a monthslong effort by one Republican county official to rid the county of electronic voting equipment and begin hand counting all ballots. The push has divided the overwhelmingly Republican county — a verdant stretch of the Hill Country split by the Guadalupe River — and will cost taxpayers around $250,000 due to the many changeovers.

So far, the effort has failed. Still, Kerr County Republican Party Chair Paul Zohlen told Votebeat the effort — led largely by Republican County Commissioner Rich Paces — has “single-handedly taken a wrecking ball to one of the finest election departments in the state.”

Snip

Paces ran for his seat on the Kerr County Commissioners Court last year with a campaign focused on frugal spending and election integrity. An Ohio native and retired engineer, Paces and his wife moved to the Texas Hill Country in the early 2000s.

After being on the job for less than a month, he began to receive text messages from local right-wing activist Alicia Bell, who said she was at the Capitol for an “election integrity legislative briefing.” The event featured Bob Hall, a Dallas-area senator who has for years pushed to eliminate electronic voting equipment; Texas GOP Vice Chair Dana Myers, who led efforts to remove Texas from an effective voter list maintenance tool; and Russ Ramsland, a Texas businessman who is widely known to spread false election conspiracies.

Snip

More

And this

No election surprises in Kendall, Kerr counties, with many races uncontested

The Hill Country counties have been staunchly Republican for years, and Democrats didn't bother to field a candidate in many races.

By Ricardo Delgado,
Staff writer
Updated Nov 5, 2024 9:55 p.m.

Many of the races in two Hill Country counties were effectively settled before Election Day, as Republicans run unopposed.

Snip

Kendall County

About 30,000 people cast a ballot in Kendall County, a voter turnout of just under 76%. In 2020, the county saw a turnout of just under 79%.

The county voted overwhelmingly for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, as he received 77% of the vote. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz earned about 75% of the vote in Kendall County, eclipsing Democratic challenger Colin Allred's 23%.

Snip

Kerr County

Just over 24,000 of Kerr County's approximately 40,000 registered voters cast a ballot, a turnout of about 60%. Nearly 28,000 people voted in Kerr County in 2020, a turnout of around 74%.

More

Sooo limited government, election deniers, and no Democrats running for office.

Both of these counties are majority white, median age about 49, average incomes about $53,000 median incomes over $100,000, and well educated.

Rich Paces - County Commissioner Precinct 2 Kerr County

I stand for smaller government, less taxation, less government dependency, State’s Rights, and election integrity. I believe in free speech and oppose censorship. I believe in capitalism and equal opportunity, NOT socialism and equal equity! I will defend our right to bear arms and I will oppose any government mandate that violates our civil rights.

He’s the one who wants hand counted ballots.

How do Texas Democrats even reach these folks?

I dunno…

[J_William_Ryan]

1. "How do Texas Democrats even reach these folks?"

They don't - and never will.

[SARose]

2. Yep

Even though my family is MAGA to the bone, I cannot understand someone in their 40’s believing this crap.

Local impact by the numbers

Census data shows 5,517 Kerr County residents earn less than $25,000 annually, making them particularly vulnerable to administrative hurdles. The county’s estimated 3,800 working-age Medicaid recipients include many who struggle with low wages and irregular schedules, though the county’s substantial retiree population of 10,613 Medicare recipients would largely be protected from the new requirements.

Research from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows hospital uncompensated care costs in Medicaid expansion states totaled 2.7% of operating expenses in fiscal 2020, compared to 7.3% in non-expansion states like Texas.

Peterson Health, which serves Kerr County and surrounding rural areas including Bandera, Kimble and Real counties, could face an estimated $3.3 million annually in additional uncompensated care costs, based on the average $3,500 in unpaid medical bills per uninsured person. The health system’s service area has a combined population of more than 80,000 people, with rural residents typically having fewer healthcare alternatives when they lose insurance coverage.

More

[sop]

3. These folks identify as Republicans much the same way they identify as being white, christian and "real" Americans.

It's not a political affiliation, it's a cultural artifact.

[Vogon_Glory]

4. I looked up Kerr County's Vote. totals for 2024

Lest some right-wing Evangelical takes it upon himself/herself to Lie for Jesus about the folks drowned in the recent flooding.

Kerr County is NOT secular-humanist, Lefty Democratic territory. It is very, very Red. Nearly 75 percent of Kerr County’s voters turned out to vote for Republican candidates.

[HelpImSurrounded]

5. I live in Kendall - the party has abandoned us

If Kerr wants reliable electronic voting they should look at Kendall's system.

It starts by walking up to an electronic screen and making choices.

That machine prints out a PAPER ballot which is both human-readable and scannable

That PAPER ballot is then placed into a counting machine and STORED for later auditing.

This system is both fast and AUDITABLE and audibility is key to ensuring election integrity.

If Kerr is serious they only have to look next door.

As for the rest.... I don't know. Some republican state rep from Houston had to politicize the flood this weekend by claiming credit for himself and the orange man for the well-prepared and well-executed work of the TX National Guard.

You can't talk to these people. They are bound in their cult. The only thing we can try to do is activate the inactive voters but we can't get any party help to do that. The party won't invest in areas they think are unwinnable.

We are alone out here.

[SARose]

9. No they won't

The only thing we can try to do is activate the inactive voters but we can't get any party help to do that.

True, true, true!

[HelpImSurrounded]

6. The Party won't help so these guys are our best hope

https://www.bluehorizontexas.org

[SARose]

10. Thanks for the link

👍

[carpetbagger]

7. Kerr County Democrats are fighters

They've had some big rallies in town, and are present in official affairs. While they lose at the county level, Dems and Moderate Republicans control the city council under a nonpartisan alliance/faction called Kerrville Forward.

There's just not many of us (I guess one less since I left Kerr County last month).

[HelpImSurrounded]

8. That's true - Kerr, Gillespie & Kendall are fighting back

Dems are making good public showings and not hiding.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. When "owning the libs" turns deadly..