Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) wrote a letter to Harris County Clerk and Chief Election Officer Diane Trautman over concerns surrounding the extremely long lines seen at polling places during the 2020 Texas Democratic primary. Black people and other people of color were disproportionately affected by these obstacles, as the longest wait-times in Harris County occurred in locations, such as Texas State University, that disproportionately serve voters of color—including young voters.
The letter requests a full accounting of the failures of election administration that produced the long wait times and lines at polling places and plans for ensuring that these issues do not reoccur in future elections, including the fall election where anticipated turnout will be even higher.
LDF demands the Harris County Clerk’s Office take immediate action—heeding the voices of Harris County voters of color and the organizations that represent them—to ensure that every voter can fairly and freely cast a ballot in the November 2020 presidential election.
Read the full letter here.
