NW Houston News

Harris County voters experienced long lines during the March 3 primary election; wait times sometimes exceeded six hours for voters, causing people to miss entire days at work and slowing down the election night count. 

Diane Trautman, the Harris County Clerk, apologized for the inconvenience and is "taking full responsibility" for the debacle.

In a recent statement, Trautman, who is also a member of the Democratic Party and oversees elections within Harris County, issued an apology to voters who were burdened by the long lines. Reports say the extreme wait times primarily affected black and Hispanic communities. She said her office would re-evaluate how voting machines are distributed across the county.

This inconvenience to minority voters has prompted claims of voter discrimination and voter repression. Trautman attempted to empathize with black and Hispanic voters affected by ensuring there were enough voting machines to serve their communities.

“It is clear that the history of marginalized communities being left behind in the voting process has led to polling deserts in areas of  Harris County,” Trautman said. “I believe that we have made some strides, but we still have work left to do.”