GOP To Hand Count Ballots?
Republicans across Texas are moving to overhaul how primary ballots are counted next March, taking direct action to restore confidence in the voting process. According to NBC News, several GOP-led counties are choosing to hand-count ballots instead of relying on machines — a major change driven by growing concerns about election integrity.
GOP Counties Taking Control of Their Own Elections
Texas is unique because political parties can set their own primary voting procedures. While most elections are normally handled by county officials, Republican leaders in multiple counties say the status quo is no longer acceptable.
Several counties — Dallas, Hays, Eastland, Gillespie, and Orange — have already approved plans to run their own primary elections and count every ballot by hand.
This movement is gaining momentum statewide.
Allen West: “Voters Want Transparency — Not Machine Failures”
Dallas County GOP Chair Allen West said voters are demanding a system they can trust, especially after repeated issues with machine tabulation.
“We’ve seen catastrophic failures of electronic systems during pre-election testing,” West explained. “I can’t fix a machine, and I don’t know what algorithms they’re running. But doing the same thing and expecting a different result? That’s insanity.”
West said hand-counting is the simplest and most transparent method available — and many conservatives agree.
State Officials Defend Machines — But GOP Voters Aren’t Buying It
Some state officials, including Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, argue that Texas voting machines are reliable and secure. But grassroots conservatives overwhelmingly support the shift toward hand-counting.
Many see it as a return to common sense, especially after years of widespread skepticism about machine accuracy across the country.
Democrats Push Back, Claiming the Process Is Too Difficult
Texas Democrats are criticizing the GOP’s decision.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder argued that hand-counting is “duplicative” and will require thousands of new workers. He said Dallas County alone would need:
- 2,300 election workers per party
- About 500 voting locations
- Thousands more workers to finish counting by deadline
Scudder also warned that hand-counts could introduce “human error” — a point many conservatives find ironic, given Democrats’ unwavering confidence in machines that have failed tests.
A Statewide Shift That Could Influence the Nation
As Texas Republicans move decisively toward hand-counting ballots, the state could become a model for other areas looking to strengthen election transparency. The push reflects a broader movement among conservative voters who want clear, secure, and fully accountable vote-counting.
For many Texans, this isn’t just a policy change — it’s a step toward rebuilding trust in America’s elections.
