Texas Voter Fraud: Ballot harvesting an illegal practice
Ballot harvesting is illegal in Texas, as well as in many other states. It basically involves someone taking ballots around to be voted and then transporting those same ballots — which were filled out by people unrelated to the distributor — back to the elections department.
In this case, some 15 Democrats — many of them either candidates, former candidates, or office holders — are accused of taking ballots to nursing homes (where residents may be senile or at least generally unaware of political identities), telling them who to vote for, and then taking charge of the completed ballots.
The arrests occurred this summer. Some individuals have been given the option of surrendering to authorities. Their lawyers generally claim the whole matter is a witch hunt and blame Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for carrying out a vendetta. They further claim that the anti-ballot-harvesting statute is itself illegal and contrary to the freedom of speech clause in the Constitution. The tactic they’re following is to request a delay in trial or verdict until an appeal of the statute itself has been fully litigated. (It should be pointed out, however, that the use of the ignorant in nursing homes has been an indefensible tactic of fraudsters for years.)
Former chairman of the Bexar County Democrat Party — who also recently ran for San Antonio Mayor), Juan Manuel Medina, has been indicted on two counts of vote harvesting. Previous Pearsall Mayor Petra Trevino has been indicted on a single count. Previous Dilley Mayor Mary Ann Obregon faces two counts. Former Dilley Counsel Woman Imelda Rodriguez has been indicted on three counts of vote harvesting. Rachel Leal faces a single count. Previous Texas House Candidate, Cecilia Castellano faces two counts. The County Commissioner for Frio County Precinct 3 (Raul Carrizales III) and his mother Susanna Carrizales were each indicted on one count. Maricela Benavides, Pearsall Independent School District Board Secretary, was also indicted on a single count.
According to Television Station KSAT, all 15 have turned themselves in to the Frio County Sheriff’s Department and have since been bonded out. In addition to the vote harvesting charges (which constitute a 3rd degree felony) several have also been charged with paying individuals to vote harvest as politiqueras.
Six arrests occurred in May. These include the arrest of former Frio County Elections Administrator Carlos Segura for tampering with evidence. The corruption ran extremely deep in this county. In fact, County Judge Rochelle Camacho is among those indicted (on three counts of harvesting). Pearsall County Councilman, Ramiro Trevino, was also arrested. So was school district board member Adriann Ramirez. So was Pearsall City Councilwoman Rachael Garza, as well as Rosa Rodriguez.
The Texas Supreme Court has given the go ahead to Ken Paxton to continue going after illegal vote harvesters across the state. It appears we have a significant problem here, and it behooves law enforcement to root out the corruption. It is particularly disgusting that some individuals are bent on misusing the elderly in their quest for political power. Nursing homes are not a suitable base for political power. This case makes it all the more evident that picture identification cards are a necessity for voting and that all votes need to be informed votes.