A right-wing grassroots organization visited the Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday to train poll watchers as midterm elections near and the battle to turn South Texas red intensifies.
The True Texas Project, a conservative Tarrant County based-organization, held a training session at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Harlingen to teach those interested how to be a poll watcher, election judge, alternate judge or election clerk.
Estella McKee, Willacy County’s Republican Chair, was one among a little more than a dozen people who attended.
“We’re starting from the ground up. I think I have maybe eight precinct chairs now since I took over,” McKee said.
Republicans in the area were motivated by the outcome of the special election to fill the unexpired term of former U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela.
“This last election, the special election with Mayra Flores, we worked that really hard,” she said. “I know not everybody voted. It’s not a regular election, but we had the most (votes).”
The results of that election in Willacy County showed 353 voted for Flores and 341 for the favored Democratic candidate, Dan Sanchez. Sixteen others voted for a lesser known Democrat.
“We were very pleased with that,” McKee said about the turnout.
Tuesday’s meeting lasted about 2.5 hours and went over a new state requirement: poll watchers in Texas must now hold a certificate of completion from the Secretary of State’s office before participating in November’s general election.
“The new poll watcher training program launched today,” a Sept. 1 news release from the Texas Secretary of State said. “(It) will ensure that every individual who wishes to observe and report on the voting process in their county understands Texas election law, knows how to spot violations of the Texas Election Code, and is properly trained on how to report any irregularities they may observe.”
The True Texas Project is a conservative movement that began as the NE Tarrant Tea Party in 2009 and is described as a group “loved – and hated – by many” on its website. The group was deemed an anti-government organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a label it gives to groups that espouse certain views on issues such as “COVID-19 regulations, local school curriculum, the “Big Lie” voter fraud, border security and various technological advances such as 5G cell service.”
Members of True Texas Project refute that characterization. Bonnie S. Brown, a member, said some elected officials take issue with their mission.
“A lot of politicians don’t want to be confronted. It’s not in any type of violent confrontation. It’s on the phone or in person, to say, ‘we want to hold you accountable,’” Brown said, countering the label, on Tuesday. “Any protests that they would do would be totally peaceful. It would not be anything that you would have seen on television in the last year-and-a-half, or in the last two years, that you’ve seen around the country. Not that type of protest.”
Brown described the group as “pro-government” and explained its religious roots.
“True Texas Project, part of their founding principles, is to uphold what God says that we are to do as voting citizens and as Christians,” Brown said.
Though they started in Tarrant County, they now have 17 satellite locations across Texas.
During the meeting, the speaker, Julie Kellogg, spoke about the role of poll watchers, a process that allows party members to oversee the voting process in-person, and focused on teaching poll watcher aspirants to spot suspicious activity that does not conform to the state’s election code.
“There has been so much fraud across the state and the country over the last several years, so that’s why there’s a big push for voter integrity,” Brown said.
Kellogg also went over their rights. At one point, she asked if voters could wear a Trump shirt and Make America Great Again cap into the polling site.
“Yes, voters can, because he’s not on the ballot. Poll watchers cannot wear that. We’re not there to stir stuff up. We want free and fair elections for everybody,” Kellogg said. “Just be neutral.”
Another presentation slide emphasized the message: “As an election worker, your task is to manage an election, not to engage in or discuss politics. You must maintain nonpartisan behavior when working at your polling place.”
Attendees were encouraged to ask questions about the process. Many sought clarity on the use of provisional ballots, what to do if someone does not have a proper photo ID, and in what circumstances cellphones can be used by voters and poll watchers.
One of the points the presenter emphasized was thorough documentation. That documentation, Kellogg said, could help provide clarity if a vote or incident is investigated later on.
The presentation lasted longer than the time allotted and reviewed the intricacies and nuances of serving as a poll watcher. This year, however, poll watchers will be able to call a hotline set up by the Texas GOP Party if they see something that can present a potential voter integrity issue.
Training sessions like this will continue as the election approaches. The next one in the area is scheduled for Oct. 1 in Willacy County.
“It’s the first time. We’re inviting all the counties to come,” McKee said.
Events like these are also opportunities for the Republican Party to further inroads made by previous GOP efforts and gains in South Texas. Members were reminded that their participation can help with the group’s broader mission.
“Democrats have a strategy to turn Texas blue by bringing two people to vote,” Kellogg said during the presentation. “We need to bring five.”
