County Republican Chair Vigil visits County Eections Office but Elections Administrator Melissa Jones on vacation on March 14th Deadline Day.
by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian
Top image: (Left to Right) J. Anson Bills, Uvalde County Republican Chair Rhonda Vigil and Dr. Alma Arredondo- Lynch stand outside the Uvalde County Elections Office
On Thursday morning, March 14th at approximately 9:30 AM, Republican Chair Rhonda Vigil was seen outside of the Uvalde County Elections Office on 124 E. North St. accompanied by Dr. Alma Arredondo- Lynch and J. Anson Bills.
According to Vigil, she visited the office to canvas the Republican Primary Votes as required by Texas State law but was informed by Uvalde County Elections Staff that they could’t assist her because Uvalde County Elections Administrator Melissa Jones was away from the office on vacation. According to Texas State Elections Law, each party is required to canvass the votes from the preceding primary elections by the deadline day, March 14th, 2024.
“Her employees wouldn’t let me canvas the votes. They said they didn’t know what to do without her,” Vigil said.
“That is odd and not professional for her not to be there the day I am supposed to report to RPT (Republican Party of Texas) and (the) Secretary of State, so I’m the only county in Texas that didn’t get to send my report in,” said Vigil.
Vigil also said an incident report was filed with the Uvalde Police Department.
Jones called the Uvalde Hesperian in the morning on the following day. She stated that she was not required to be in the office that day. She said that the canvassing process could have been done online by the Party Chair signing in to an official website to meet the canvassing requirements.
Jones also said she had scheduled a personal day a few weeks previously. Jones also stated she did not have an appointment scheduled on March 14th with Vigil.
According to Jones, canvassing is a formality involving a County Party Chair approving the voting results from an election. It is also an open meeting.
According to the Texas Secretary of State, Canvassing is the name given to the formal examination of the votes cast during an election and the procedure is unavoidable, and a mandatory, ministerial duty.
“Time for Local Canvass • Open Meeting
• Each local canvassing authority shall convene to conduct the local canvass
at the time set by the canvassing authority’s presiding officer not later
than the 11th day after Election Day and not earlier than the later of:
• the third day after Election Day;
• the date on which the early voting ballot board has verified and counted all provisional ballots, if a provisional ballot has been cast in the election;
• the date on which all timely received ballots cast from addresses
outside of the United States are counted, if a ballot to be voted by mail in the election was provided to a person outside of the United
States; or
• the date on which all ballots contained in previously defective carrier envelopes which were corrected by voters by the required deadline are counted,” a Texas Secretary of State .pdf on Canvassing reads.
Furthermore, the .pdf document states:
“• Procedures for ordering, posting notice & conducting the canvass
meeting should be in compliance with Texas Open Meetings Act
(Chapter 551, Texas Government Code)
• Quorum – two members [§ 67.004] “
The Uvalde Hesperian did talk with a Texas Secretary of State Attorney who stated they are looking into the matter.
Jones stated that the recent primary elections results have been forwarded by her office to the Secretary of State’s office and there are other entities that are also required to canvass the elections results.
