Voter Fraud in Harris County?

Harris County officials are bringing allegations of major voter registration fraud against a Houston non-profit.
Jason Volentine KIAH
9:45 PM CDT, August 24, 2010

HOUSTON - Harris County Voter Registrar Leo Vasquez announced Tuesday that Houston Votes - a local non-profit organization that recruits voters - turned in more than 5,000 fraudulent voter registration applications.

"The integrity of the voter role of Harris County Texas appears to be under an organized and systematic attack by the group operating under the name Houston Votes," Vasquez said.

Vasquez said some of the problems include multiple applications for the same person, applications for people already registered, incomplete applications, applications from non-U.S. citizens and several from people too young to vote.

"We have evidence indicating violation of the Texas Election Code, falsified documents being submitted to this office and possible violations of federal election laws," said Vasquez.

Houston Votes admits volunteers could have submitted some faulty applications. However, organizers said if any deficiencies occurred, they were not on purpose.

"If someone was signed up fraudulently, whoever did it was terminated," Houston Votes Director Sean Caddle said.

But Vazquez said the problems go right to the organization's top management.

"Volunteer Deputy Sean Caddle has submitted 23 incomplete [applications], 37 pre-existing voters, two underage and numerous duplicate applications," Vazquez said.

The allegations first came from True the Vote, a Houston voter watchdog group.

"[We are] just a concerned group of citizens," said Catherine Engelbrecht with True the Vote.

Voting investigators said there are thousands of fraudulent voter registrations floating around Harris County.

"We were stunned, but now that we know what exists to not do anything would make us complicit in it. So we've got to keep after it," Engelbrecht said.

Vasquez said he will refer this case to the Harris County Attorney and Secretary of State. It will be their decision whether to press charges.

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