The Texas Secretary of State’s Office has announced a full forensic audit of the 2020 general election in four of the state’s counties.
On Thursday, former President Donald Trump had urged Texas officials to conduct the audit.
In an open letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, Trump wrote: “Despite my big win in Texas, I hear Texans want an election audit! You know your fellow Texans have big questions about the November 2020 Election. Bills to audit elections in your great state’s House and Senate were considered during Texas’ Second Special Session. Instead, the legislature passed a watered-down amendment that doesn’t even apply to the 2020 Presidential Election. This short amendment doesn’t answer the questions Texans have about the last election. Texans demand a real audit to completely address their concerns.
“Texas needs you to act now. Your Third Special Session is the perfect, and maybe last, opportunity to pass this audit bill. Time is running out. Paper ballots in your state are only kept for 22 months after the election. Your citizens don’t trust the election system, and they want your leadership on this issue, which is the number one thing they care about. It is their most important issue—one that will affect 2022 and 2024.
“Governor Abbott, we need a ‘Forensic Audit of the 2020 Election,'” Trump added to the call. “We’re quickly running out of time and it must be done this week. Texans know voting fraud occurred in some of their counties. Let’s get to the bottom of the 2020 Presidential Election Scam!”
The Texas Secretary of State’s Office, in a statement on its website, noted: “Under existing Texas laws, the Secretary of State has the authority to conduct a full and comprehensive forensic audit of any election and has already begun the process in Texas’ two largest Democrat counties and two largest Republican counties—Dallas, Harris, Tarrant, and Collin — for the 2020 election. We anticipate the Legislature will provide funds for this purpose.”
Texas is currently without a secretary of state since the retirement of Ruth Ruggero Hughs in May. Abbott has not yet appointed a successor, according to The New York Times.
Meanwhile, Trump on Friday said an audit of the 2020 votes in Maricopa County, Arizona, had “uncovered significant and undeniable evidence of fraud.”
“This is a major criminal event and should be investigated by the Attorney General immediately,” Trump said.
