Harris Co. Clerk Running 'Mock Election,' Lays Out Plan Ahead of November

Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth is promising this November's election will be run very differently than a year ago.

"One thing we should not be worried about this election cycle is paper. We will have more than enough paper," she told reporters Monday.

The Clerk's Office is running its "mock election" this week at NRG Arena, to work out the kinks and changes under new state law.

"So that we have all of our advisories up to date and we're in-line with Texas Election Code and the Secretary of State's advisories and mandates," she said. "The other logistics to that is making sure all of our polling locations have all allocations they need, from equipment to paper and things of that matter."

Clerk Hudspeth is no stranger to running elections. She's worked 15 years in the county clerk's office, before and after Democrats on commissioners court chose to hand-pick their elections administrator.

"We have a new process in place called Service Now, that helps mitigate communicating from the Elections Office to the polls, to our techs and everyone that's involved to make the election clean," she said.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, the lone Republican on Commissioners Court, is liking what he's heard so far.

"I feel better, one, because we now have someone who's at least accountable. And two, we have someone who as extremely good experience," he says. "Going into it, I feel better than if we were under a non-elected bureaucrat with a history of problems."

"She'll bring that experience of how you get workers, how you get them organized, how you get them directed. She'll bring all that good experience and whatever help we can give her we will."

Last day to register for November's elections is October 10.