What you need to know
The district declared the candidacy ineligible May 20 after a public records review, which showed that Brown did not have an Humble ISD address on her voter registration, which was filed Feb. 14, according to a May 20 news release from the district.
Texas Election Code Section 141.001 states that a candidate must be registered to vote within the district’s boundaries for which they are seeking office by the filing deadline, which was Feb. 14.
Brown, whose voter registration listed her residency in Houston ISD, changed her address on her voter registration to Humble ISD, and it became effective March 16, which was after the filing deadline, according to the district.
Address changes for voter registration become effective 30 days after submission and acceptance, according to Texas Secretary of State guidelines.
Diving in deeper
In the news release, Humble ISD officials stated when the district receives candidate filings, the district checks that the address on the application is located within the district’s boundaries and that the candidate is a registered voter.
Candidates also sign a statement that they are eligible to hold office under state laws. District officials noted Humble ISD has not experienced a problem with candidate voter registration in prior elections, per the release.
Humble ISD uses a plurality voting system, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins without a runoff, unless there is a tie. School board members are elected at large and serve four-year, unpaid terms, according to the district’s news release.
Election results for the May 3 election for Position 4 were as follows:
- Brittnai Brown: 4,066 votes
- Ken Kirchhofer: 3,197 votes
- Tracy Shannon: 3,237 votes
The board may either hold a special election or appoint a replacement to fill the position due to the ineligibility ruling, the news release notes. As of press time May 20, the board had not met to determine the method for filling the vacancy.
Until the vacancy on the board is addressed, incumbent Ken Kirchhofer will continue serving in the Position 4 seat under Texas law regarding vacancies.
The other recently elected board members are scheduled to take the oath of office at the district’s next regular board meeting, which is scheduled for June 10 at 7 p.m. at the district’s Board, Business and Technology Center, located at 20200 Eastway Village Drive, Humble.
