Should Harris County Create the Office of Elections Administrator?

County Judge Ed Emmett has recently suggested that the county consider creating an Election Administrator’s position within the county and transferring voter registration duties from the county Tax Assessor-Collector/Voter Registrar and responsibility for conducting elections from the County Clerk to this appointed official. On the one hand, such a proposal might reduce to some degree the politicization of those offices. Democrats have been screaming for some time about the unlawful partisan activities of the Voter Registrar’s Office (even filing suit over it), and have complained bitterly that prior Republican Tax Assessor-Collector/Voter Registrars have made a politicized mess of that office.

But I’m not sure yet that the best solution to those problems is to remove the office from accountability to the voters, especially when Democratic candidates appear to be on the verge of being elected to fill those offices and can clean up the problems themselves once elected. And I must admit that it is certainly suspicious that the county judge has come to the conclusion that the election duties should be shifted from elected officials to an appointed one just when Democrats seem poised to win those offices (Tax Assessor/Voter Registrar and County Clerk) for the first time in 20 years. Where was Judge Emmett on this issue before the candidates of the Republican establishment lost primary election contests for those positions?

Having said that, there may be some merit to the idea of a County Elections Administrator (at least, potentially enough to justify exploration and discussion). BUT it is absolutely imperative in my view that the position of Elections Administrator (if one is created for Harris County) not be filled until after the Tax Assessor-Collector/Voter Registrar, County Clerk, and County Judge (all of whom are members of the five person commission which selects the Elections Administrator) are elected in November and sworn into office next January. That way it is them – the officials just elected by the voters (likely three Democrats) – who will get to select the Elections Administrator, instead of lame duck office holders who will not be serving in those positions in the future (one of whom was just defeated at the polls). If the office of County Elections Administrator is to enjoy any kind of public trust and confidence – which is indispensable to its effectiveness and justification – it must not be viewed as a last ditch effort by departing officeholders to influence the conduct of elections in Harris County for years to come, and well after they have left office – especially if three Republicans who select the person are no longer public officials at the time office begins operations. And for sure two of the incumbents won’t be officeholders next January, as they have either been defeated for re-election already or are not seeking election in November.

Those are just my thoughts – not the official (or even unofficial) position of the Harris County Democratic Party. But I assure you I will personally vigorously oppose any effort to allow the current, outgoing Voter Registrar and County Clerk (who will not be accountable to the voters in the future for their selection, should they be permitted to vote on that person), and the county judge who is running for reelection, to hand pick some unelected and unaccountable-to-the-voters person to fill this position. At a minimum, it is imperative that the officials elected in November – not the ones who won’t be around any more – select this person.

The county judge, retiring county clerk, and defeated-at-the-polls county voter registrar shouldn’t be allowed to pull a Rod Blagojevich on this one, appointing someone not accountable to the voters to an important position just as they are heading out the door of public office.

Ed Emmett shouldn’t be allowed to pull a Rod Blagojevich on this one.

Gerry Birnberg
Chair, Harris County Democratic Party
May 25, 2010