Dallas County completes recount of 9,149 primary ballots not turned in on Super Tuesday
DALLAS - More than one week after North Texans went to the polls on Super Tuesday, all of the votes cast have finally been counted in Dallas County.
There were 9,149 votes - 6,818 for Democrats, 2,331 for Republicans - recorded on thumb drives that were not properly turned in on Election Day.
The winners of all races stayed the same.
The votes have been counted, but there are still questions about mistakes made and a lack of transparency about the process.
“When we went in, they had 44 boxes center of the room, each is tagged, sealed, closed,” explained Colleen Martin, administrative director for the Dallas County Democratic party.
FOX4 was allowed to shoot video of the sealed boxes and the counting machines, but not allowed to watch the vote counting.
Martin was there to observe on behalf of the Democratic party.
“Person running high speed count machine, took a box, cut the tape, opened box with key,” Martin said.
Once the count was complete, Dallas County Elections Administrator Antoinette “Toni” Pippins-Poole declined FOX4’s request for an interview.
“Republicans and Democrats, and elections department, we want to get it right,” said Rodney Anderson, Dallas County Republican party chair.
On Tuesday, Republicans asked a judge to delay the count until Friday, in order to ask more questions about the ballots.
“Somewhere in the system, 44 thumb drives got misplaced, misused, taken home, put in wrong boxes. We still don't know the answer to that,” Anderson explained.
FOX4 has asked Pippins-Poole why county elections staff at 13 regional centers allowed judges to leave if they had not turned in their thumb drives, but have not yet received a response.
“There is a check off, a chain of custody that has to be signed for in the transfer, starting when an election judge picks up equipment. They sign off that they have it,” Anderson said.
Anderson has asked county commissioners to request an independent audit of the elections department.
“We want to make sure this does not happen in November. This is critical, we're going to have a huge turnout in November and we have to make sure we get it right,” he said.
Texas State Representative Rafael Anchia, a Democrat, along with State Representative Morgan Meyer, a Republican, released a statement requesting county commissioners appoint a bi-partisan board to review the vote counting process and audit the final election recount.
RELATED STORIES:
Judge agrees to recount of missed Dallas County primary ballots
Dallas County judge to consider recount petition on Tuesday
Dallas County seeks Super Tuesday recount after 'discrepancies' with vote count