Harris County pushes back against governor's election takeover threat

Harris County leaders publicly rejected a proposal by Gov. Greg Abbott to seize local election operations after a complaint that more than 100 voters were registered at P.O. boxes. County Attorney Jonathan Fombonne said the governor lacks the authority to take over local elections and noted that the Secretary of State had acknowledged steps taken by the county tax assessor-collector to address the registrations.

The dispute, which unfolded on Jan. 9, 2026, centers on a separation of roles that often confuses voters: the Harris County tax office handles voter registration, while the county clerk oversees election administration. County officials emphasized that the issue at hand was registration records processed at the tax assessor-collector’s offices, not mismanagement of ballots or polling places handled by the county clerk.

Local elected officials called the governor’s comments a misrepresentation or politically motivated. Members of Commissioners Court and County Judge Lina Hidalgo publicly pushed back, framing the suggestion of a statewide takeover as an overreach that would disrupt locally run voter services and the administration of elections in the nation’s third-largest county.

Harris County officials say the registrations tied to P.O. boxes are part of a known administrative pattern that has surfaced in large Texas counties before, and that the tax assessor-collector has already taken corrective steps acknowledged by the Secretary of State. County leaders argue that the procedural remedy for registration irregularities is administrative correction and audits, not immediate assumption of election operations by the state.

For Harris County voters, the controversy raises practical questions about where to go for help and how secure local voting remains. Because registration and election administration are handled by different offices, most voters will not see any change to polling locations, ballot delivery, or how elections are run in the short term. The larger risk, officials warn, would be the chilling effect on public confidence if state intervention were pursued without clear legal authority and without first exhausting local remedies.

These clashes reflect broader tensions over state and local authority in administering elections, and they are likely to continue as counties process routine registration updates and address administrative irregularities. Our two cents? Keep your registration current and know which county office to contact if your registration or polling place seems off - the tax office for registration questions and the county clerk for election day issues. That simple step helps protect your right to vote and keeps local processes running smoothly.