by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Uvalde County Election Administrator Melissa Jones (File photo)

11/21/24

  The Uvalde County Commissioners Court met today at 11 AM to canvas the 2024 November election canvass report. 

Uvalde County Elections Administrator Melissa Jones spoke before the court said, “We had a really good turnout. We had 9838 voters who came out to vote.

When Jones was asked by Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell what percentage of the voters came out, Jones said it was about 54% to 55% of the votes.

  According to Jones, the Early Voting Ballot Board had already met and only 4 of the 173 provisional ballots were accepted. The majority of the provisional ballots that were rejected was because those voters were not registered to vote or the voters were just passing through. 

  Jones also reported that during the November election, the Elections Office utilized 10 election boxes down from 14 boxes previously used. While the voting locations outside of the City of Uvalde stayed the same day, some polling locations changed inside the City.

  Jones said that the Civic Center was the largest turnout location. “1082 people showed up to the Civic Center,” she said. 

 When asked by Commissioner Ronnie Garza how Jones notified the voters of the news polling place locations, she said, “We put it in the newspaper, we put it on our Facebook page. We notified the candidates as well.”

Judge Mitchell said, “Moving forward perhaps we should come up with a strategy of promoting those sites, those polling sites.” is needed to promote the new polling locations. 

Jones continued by saying the Uvalde County Elections Office did try to place ads on Facebook but were unable to get approval from Facebook to run ads.

by Michael Robinson |Uvalde Hesperian

  Uvalde County Commissioners met for a second time on Monday, May 29th to vote on a state polling program application.

   The first meeting was held on July 22nd, 2024 where the agenda item failed due to lack of a second. Commissioners met again for called special meeting called by Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell.

  10 citizens spoke against the measure while three spoke in favor. The Court voted to approve applying for the state pilot polling program which, if approved by the State, would allow voters to cast their ballots at any county precinct on Election Day.

by Michael Robinson |Uvalde Hesperian

  Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell scheduled a Special Uvalde County Commissioner Court Meeting to consider and act on a County-wide polling program that failed to pass due to the lack of a second at Monday’s  July 22nd Commissioner Court Meeting. The pilot polling program offered by the State of Texas, where 100 counties in Texas are participating already, would allow for voters at the Tuesday,November 5th General Election to cast a vote on Election Day at any polling location rather than just the assigned precinct of each respective registered voter.

 According to Uvalde County Elections Administrator Melissa Jones, the deadline for counties to apply for the State’s pilot polling program is July 31st. 

At Monday’s July 22nd Court meeting, County Commissioners John Yeackle and Ronnie Garza were absent leaving a threadbare quorum. 

 Commissioner Jerry Bates motioned for the agenda item but there was no second offered. 

 Citizens who spoke against the measure at last Monday’s meeting stated the Court did not provide enough time or information to County residents about the measure before the polling program would be voted on by the Court.

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.

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

  Uvalde County Commissioner Precinct 1 John Yeackle who is running for re-election for his seat as a Republican responded to the Uvalde Hesperian regarding his decision to switch his political party affiliation from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party  Uvalde County Citizen Diana Olvedo-Karau wrote a letter to the editor which was published in a local Uvalde newspaper and on the Uvalde Hesperian questioning the reasonings and motivations of two candidates (including Commissioner Yeackle) for choosing to leave the Democratic Party and run as Republicans in the upcoming March Republican Primary election. Texas will hold its 2024 primary elections on March 5 with early voting beginning on February 20th.

  Candidate/Commissioner Yeackle responded saying,

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

  The atmosphere at the Uvalde County Commissioners Court meeting seemed to suddenly grow tense on Monday, October 23rd as the court considered the election judge agenda item. 

  Faced with the prospect of not having an Early Voting Ballot Board Judge approved as early voting for the 2023 Constitutional Amendment Elections already underway, Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell appeared frustrated by the Court having to consider an act upon the approval of election judges. The Court ultimately approved Diana Olvedo-Karau as the replacement judge narrowly averting placing the County into a sort of legal abyss but only after being told by Olvedo-Karau they, (the Commissioners) did not understand the election code. 

 “I would venture to say that the majority of you do not know what is in this handbook; do not know what is required of the election process and that’s a sad statement, but I know it’s a fact.” Olvedo-Karau said.

 Uvalde County Republican Chair Rhonda Vigil spoke to the Court following Olvedo-Karau where she claimed that dead people are on the voter rolls and illegal aliens are being allowed to vote. Vigil continued to talk after Mitchell warned her three minutes speaking time was up. Judge Mitchell then shouted, “Sheriff” prompting a U.C. Sheriff’s Deputy to step toward Vigil. Vigil ceased talking and sat down before the deputy reached her which put an end to that tense moment.

  Olvedo-Karau continued with her comments blasting Uvalde County Elections Director Melissa Jones and her staff. “You have an elections administrator; an office that’s staffed by three people that should know this stuff inside and out.”

 Prior to Olvedo-Karau and Uvalde County Republican Party Chair Rhonda Vigil addressing the court on the election judge agenda item  Uvalde County Election Director Melissa Jones stood at the podium facing the Commissioners, a back and forth exchange occurred between Judge Bill Mitchell and Jones.

  Judge Mitchell: “This is the third time we have been here on this issue? Why is the Commissioners Court involved?
Jones : “Per statute”

Judge Mitchell: “You are recommending we appoint Diana Olvedo-Karau? This court has no input into the selection?”

Commissioner Jerry Bates: “I don’t particularly like this.”

Judge Mitchell: “We made this selection a month ago and we were told we can’t do that?”

Judge Mitchell: ” Early voting starting today and we don’t have a judge?”

Jones – “If we make a substitution; yes we do.”

Judge Mitchell: ” We have to approve somebody we may or may not agree with,”

Jones: “Yes”

Judge Mitchell- We get the blame if somethinggoes wrong but we don’t have any say so as to whom is in charge.” 

Jones: ” We will be making it from the same list.”

Jones: “It’s part of the court’s statue; it’s part of the election code.”

Judge Mitchell: ” So If we don’t take action today, what happens?”

Jones “I’m not sure.”

by Michael Robinson| Uvalde Hesperian : Picture by Robinson

Top Picture: Uvalde County Elections Director Melissa Jones speaking at a Uvalde County Commissioner’s Court meeting.

   According to Texas Secretary of State Attorney Chuck Pinney, County Election Officials and election workers may not demand a person delete photos from smartphones or cameras taken within 100 feet of a polling place.  

  While there is a law prohibiting the use of cell phones, cameras or wireless recording devices within 100 feet of a polling place. Election officials are directed by law to either tell a person to either turn off the device or to leave the polling location area. Pinney went on to say there is no criminal offense tied to this ordinance, however there are laws against loitering within a certain area outside of a polling place.

  The Uvalde Hesperian contacted Uvalde County Elections Director Melissa Jones informing her of the information provided by Pinney.

   She stated she would pass the information  to those working at the early voting location at the Ssgt. Willie de Leon Civic Center.