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.”

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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.

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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.

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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%.

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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%.

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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…