The Ongoing 2020 Election: Texas Recount

[Breccia]

As one door closes, another opens.

Texas announces election audit in four counties after Trump demand

The Texas secretary of state's office announced Thursday it would carry out an election audit in four of the state's largest counties.

The announcement came just hours after former President Trump, who carried Texas, demanded Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) back a bill to launch an election audit in the Lone Star State.

“Despite my big win in Texas, I hear Texans want an election audit! You know your fellow Texans have big questions about the November 2020 Election,” Trump said.

“Let's get to the bottom of the 2020 Presidential Election Scam!”

The secretary of state's office said “a full and comprehensive forensic audit” is underway in Dallas, Harris, Tarrant, and Collin counties. President Biden won in Dallas, Harris and Tarrant counties, while Trump carried Collin County.

Democrats immediately decried the announcement.

“Let me be the first to congratulate the disgraced former president, Donald Trump, on his apparently becoming the new governor of Texas,” state House Democratic Caucus chairman Chris Turner (D) said on Twitter.

“Pitiful yet predictable that (Abbott) has capitulated to Trump yet again.”

The Texas secretary of state's office announced Thursday it would carry out an election audit in four of the state's largest counties.

The announcement came just hours after former President Trump, who carried Texas, demanded Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) back a bill to launch an election audit in the Lone Star State.

“Despite my big win in Texas, I hear Texans want an election audit! You know your fellow Texans have big questions about the November 2020 Election,” Trump said.

“Let's get to the bottom of the 2020 Presidential Election Scam!”

The secretary of state's office said “a full and comprehensive forensic audit” is underway in Dallas, Harris, Tarrant, and Collin counties. President Biden won in Dallas, Harris and Tarrant counties, while Trump carried Collin County.

Democrats immediately decried the announcement.

“Let me be the first to congratulate the disgraced former president, Donald Trump, on his apparently becoming the new governor of Texas,” state House Democratic Caucus chairman Chris Turner (D) said on Twitter.

“Pitiful yet predictable that (Abbott) has capitulated to Trump yet again.”

Republicans have launched or are attempting to launch probes into the 2020 presidential election in a number of states as Trump continues to claim without evidence that widespread voter fraud cost him the election.

The Texas secretary of state's office did not provide any further details about what its audit would entail.

With the Arizona recount apparently over -- see the appropriate thread, the report was reportedly leaked and it did nothing -- the sore losers that are Trump and his rabid fanbase are moving on to other baseless recounts with nothing other than speculation to work with.

Time to see how Texas handles this.

[Mihalik]

I'm glad Texas found some money to burn.

I'm sure it will warm the hearts of all Texans the next winter storm when the power goes out for 2 weeks.

Priorities.

[Breccia]

I looked back at previous stories about Texas election fraud, looking specifically for these four counties. Couldn't find much. So there doesn't appear to be any evidence other than "Trump said so".

I did find this March 2021 article about Texas election fraud, which big surprise, doesn't seem to exist.

However, even Abbott acknowledged he was not aware of any cases of widespread voter fraud in 2020, and statistics do not back up such claims.

This year, the Texas Secretary of State received 414 election complaints, but referred only 69 of these complaints to the Office of the Attorney General.

"Right now, I don't know how many or if any elections in the State of Texas in 2020 were altered because of voter fraud," Abbott said last week.

Furthermore, a Houston Chronicle report in December found Paxton had successfully prosecuted only 16 minor voter fraud cases, none of which led to jail time. This is .000141 percent of the more than 11 million votes cast in 2020. This is only half the cases from 2018, despite spending twice as much time on voter fraud cases compared to two years ago.

All of these cases involved the offender putting the wrong address on their voter registration form.

Now I did find this July movement by the Texas GOP to require an audit in 13 (not 4) of the largest counties in Texas, called the Voter Confidence Act or something. But there doesn't appear to be any evidence there, either. It seems more of a "it's not our money so why not?" play. If they find fraud, they can claim victory. If they don't, they can claim they did it all so the voter could feel good about there not being fraud.

Maricopa's audit, by that last article in that other thread, cost $6 million or so. Luckily, AZ didn't pay most of that. The four largest districts in Texas add up to roughly 2.5 Maricopas, so, $15 million or so. Maybe they'll hire Cyber Ninjas. I understand they have time on their hands.

[PhaelixWW]

As one door closes, another opens.

Texas announces election audit in four counties after Trump demand

Alright... who's got the over/under on the number of votes that will eventually swing to Biden on these recounts?

[zorkuus]

Alright... who's got the over/under on the number of votes that will eventually swing to Biden on these recounts?

We'll never know, because in such eventuality the audit would get mysteriously shut all of a sudden and the results buried.

[Redwyrm]

What does Trump think is going to happen with this audit. He won Texas. He can't win it twice and thus overturn Arizona's and Georgia's results. But, what the hell, go ahead and waste the state's money on a wild goose chase.

[Poopymonster]

What does Trump think is going to happen with this audit. He won Texas. He can't win it twice and thus overturn Arizona's and Georgia's results. But, what the hell, go ahead and waste the state's money on a wild goose chase.

Red Meat for the base. People will donate to his groups to "Stop future election fraud". Restrictive voting laws to discourage the "Uppity" demographic.
Waste tons of money? Guess we'll have to slash social services.

[Machismo]

Honestly, these recounts are a good thing. It continues to rub an election loss in the noses of the losers, all while completely breaking the spirit of those few Republicans who are still trying to pretend that they have principles.

"See guys, not only did you pick the wrong horse, and lose... but this is a constant reminder of just how wrong you have been, and just how shitty of a cult you have decided to stick with."

[Breccia]

What does Trump think is going to happen with this audit.

Normally I would say "the recounts exist to give the state the chance to pass voter suppression laws to make it harder for brown people to vote". The recounts don't need to show anything, they simpy need to exist. Lawmakers can point to the recounts and say "See? There are questions. We have to act because there are questions."

But...Texas already passed those laws. Trump whining like a fat fatass fat loser isn't new, but Abbott didn't have to get in on this. So I'm not sure.

[bladeXcrasher]

But...Texas already passed those laws. Trump whining like a fat fatass fat loser isn't new, but Abbott didn't have to get in on this. So I'm not sure.

Yes he did. Abbott has an election coming up and Beto is within something like 5 points and Mathew McConaughey is beating him I think. There is a Trumper threatening to primary him as well. Abbott needs the votes of the base, or he doesn't get re-elected, period. If he plays the game and sucks the cheeto dick, it at least keeps him in the game, regardless of how close it is.

[bladeXcrasher]

These recounts waste millions that could be spent on shit like education.

In Texas? LOL! Texas is already notorious for wasting millions on lawsuits that the state loses, this is par for the course here.

[bladeXcrasher]

And that makes it OK to waste more on recounts after they ALREADY enacted new election laws? I’m not saying any of these assholes would spend it on education, just that there are better ways to spend it.

Read the post prior to yours.

The state AG is under indictment for felony fraud, you give Abbott, Paxton, and TX Republicans overall too much credit by just saying it could be spent on better things.

[Breccia]

Abbott needs the votes of the base, or he doesn't get re-elected, period.

Hmm, making changes in political policy because of the threat of being run out of office. That...sounds like terrorism.

[bladeXcrasher]

Again, I’m not saying it WOULD be. I’m saying it COULD be. As such calling this waste of money a good thing, especially when the poster is a libertarian, is just fucking stupid.

I could never be in TX because TX doesn't do it already...and I was referring to my post, not Machismo, I could care less about any of his lunatic ideas.

[Ivanstone]

These recounts waste millions that could be spent on shit like education.

Funny thing about Texas. It has two huge sovereign wealth funds ($20B+ ea) which are there to help fund public education and universities. They're in the constitution and have been there for a long time.

This effectively means that education in Texas needs less state funding and state money can be repurposed to fund all kinds of frivolous idiocy like lawsuits and recounts.

[Edge-]

Man, this is just sad and pathetic.

[pathora44]

Maybe they'll hire Cyber Ninjas. I understand they have time on their hands.

Maybe not because they are flaunting the orders of the Arizona judge to hand over all important files. They have all but given the judge and the law the middle finger so they are probably dealing with another lawsuit. Hopefully the judge will throw the book at the Cyber Ninja executives and rip the files from their Trumpian hands

[jonnysensible]

I keep coming back to this wondering if Trump thinks they’re going to find ballots from other states or some shit. Absolutely delusional.

the audits are a weapon. they are a pretext for political violence (which the right wing base is being prepped for). Its not about finding real fraud. Its about normalizing the 'audit', damaging democratic norms and legitimacy and having skull masks turn up.

Now that the last audit is done and biden won and people say look biden won the process of the audit by these freaks gained legitimacy. The game is using audits as a weapon to attack democrats who win office at any level. And then to use the excuse of fraud as a way of excusing and encouraging violence.

[Hollycakes]

the audits are a weapon. they are a pretext for political violence (which the right wing base is being prepped for). Its not about finding real fraud. Its about normalizing the 'audit', damaging democratic norms and legitimacy and having skull masks turn up.

Now that the last audit is done and biden won and people say look biden won the process of the audit by these freaks gained legitimacy. The game is using audits as a weapon to attack democrats who win office at any level. And then to use the excuse of fraud as a way of excusing and encouraging violence.

So.Much.This.
I was pretty much saying the same thing in the other thread.
It's the new gameplan.
Even Elder was calling fraud before things finished.
We'll see this play out again and again.

[Breccia]

So naturally, CNN reached out to the named counties and the responses were predictable. Three of the four counties responded that they hadn't gotten any requests/demands for documents yet, which if the recounts were that important, you'd think they'd have gotten. The fourth county didn't respond at all, so it could be oh for four. I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but of the four counties that are targeted, the one that voted for Trump is the one that didn't respond. Huh. What are the odds.

Abbott, of course, also refused to respond, as this falls to the secretary of state. Naturally, the Texas SecState went to the podium, faced the crowd, and announced "I don't exist".

Oh man...that never gets old.

Yep, Texas has no Secretary of State. Seems like a bad time to announce a ten-million-vote recount...but it is a big job to fill. It might take a day or two or...oh. It's bad.

The latest SecState resigned in May at legislative gunpoint since the Texas Senate never confirmed her. She'd been there since Aug 2019, and the Constitution said without a Senate confirmation, out the door she goes. Incidentally, Aug 2019 is when the previous SecState resigned after...oh man, this gets better and better...he tried to throw a bunch of brown people off the voter roll for being brown people and the federal government said "Not this time, fuckers". So, yeah, Abbott's ended two legislative sessions without a GOP Senate confirming his picks...so I guess they were both acting SecState and they didn't exist either.

So that's where Texas stands. A recount without instructions of defiant counties with nobody in charge and no signs of fraud except "Trump said so".

I cannot see how this can possibly go well for Abbott.