A bill that would dissolve the Harris County elections administrator position and return election duties to other county offices was passed by the Texas Senate on April 18.

What happened: Senate Bill 1750 proposes giving voter registrar duties to the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and election administration duties to the Harris County Clerk. The bill was proposed by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, on March 7, according to the Texas Legislature Online.

• The bill was passed during the ongoing 88th legislative session in a 20-11 Senate vote.

What they’re saying: “Voters should have confidence in their elections, and when they see Harris County elections administrators botch election after election in 2022, that confidence is shaken,” Bettencourt said in an April 17 news release.

The back story: In 2022, the Harris County Elections Administrator’s office was criticized for election day issues, including:

• Delayed polling location openings and alleged violations of the Texas elections code for the Nov. 8 election
• Several issues with the March 1 primary election that resulted in the resignation of former Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria

Did you know? Longoria was Harris County’s first-ever elections administrator, and she was sworn in on Nov. 18, 2020.

• The county’s current elections administrator is Clifford Tatum, who was appointed Aug. 16.

What’s next?: To become law, SB 1750 still must:

• Be approved by the House of Representatives
• Be approved by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, after the 88th legislative session ends May 29