Humble ISD board election recount confirms initial vote totals,

Humble ISD board election recount confirms initial vote totals, as challenges persist
A two-day recount of the Humble ISD board election results confirmed the initial results of the election and cost the challenger more than $25,000.Natalie Carter was billed $25,375 for the salaries for election judges and the cost of print ballots for the recount on May 27-28.The results confirmed that Board President Chris Parker won her bid for re-election by 39 votes, which is one vote less than the initial election result the May 3. "I am honored by the outcome of the recount and I look forward to continue supporting our students, teachers and community. I respect the integrity of the process and thank those who participated - especially Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and her team for assistance with the process," Parker said.While the board will canvass the results Tuesday evening at the district's budget workshop, Carter has said she may file an official election contest citing concerns about witnessing ballots without signatures in a number greater, in her view, than the difference in the vote totals. "During the recount, we observed a large number of unsigned ballots ... which exceeded the margin of victory. This issue was noted by the Harris County Clerk, Tanisha Hudspeth, and the recount coordinator, Robert Sitton, and was witnessed by other poll watchers in attendance. To determine the validity of these ballots, we must contest the election," Carter said. "Establishing a trustworthy system that everyone can have confidence in is essential. It is vital that every legal ballot is counted accurately to uphold the integrity of our election."Meanwhile, former trustee-elect Brittnai Brown has challenged the notion stipulated in a lawsuit against her that she did not reside in Humble ISD for the required six months before the filing deadline to run for office. The district found Brown was ineligible because she was not a registered voter in Humble ISD before the filing deadline, despite living in the area. Brown said she updated her voter registration a few hours before filing for office, with the understanding that when she received a confirmation from the website that she had initiated her address change, that meant she had taken the appropriate measures. "Verifying both residency and voter registration falls under the shared responsibility of the election administrator and the district. As a candidate, I followed all stated procedures and submitted documentation in good faith," Brown said in an email to the Houston Chronicle.It takes up to 30 days for voter registration to become valid after a person changes their address, meaning that Brown's registration was not technically valid until one month after the filing deadline. She said she was not aware of this discrepancy. Humble ISD representatives had previously said that they had not previously encountered an issue with voter registration of candidates before. "I chose to run because I believe in the power of education to transform lives. My goal in running for the school board was to ensure that every student regardless of background receives a quality education in a safe, supportive learning environment," Brown said.The candidate who filed the challenge against Brown's candidacy, Tracy Shannon, had asked in her lawsuit to be named victor since she received the second highest number of votes, but district counsel said last month that the only legal recourse they could take in the wake of Brown's ineligibility was to have the current trustee, Ken Kirchhofer, stay on until the board decides how to fill the vacant seat, either by appointment or by a special election. Shannon said that she would await which option the board chose for filling the seat, and added that "this whole issue highlights some need to change the law to clarify that the election authority needs to have some responsibility to determine eligibility beyond looking at the application."Brown did not immediately respond to a request for comment about what her preference was for how the board vacancy is filled. The board does not have an agenda item to make that decision at the June 3 budget workshop, according to district spokesperson Jamie Mount, however the three candidates who were elected are scheduled to take the oath of office at the regular board meeting on June 10.The election challenges follow a drawn-out leadership saga that cost the district $2 million in legal fees and a dismissed lawsuit challenging the district's at-large system of elections, a case similar to the one that Spring Branch ISD recently lost.www.houstonchronicle .com/news/houston-te xas/education/articl e/humble-isd-el