As the debate over election security intensifies, Texas is facing increasing pressure from activists and prominent figures, including Elon Musk, to abandon voting machines in favor of paper ballots. Musk has publicly voiced his concern, claiming that voting machines are vulnerable to fraud and that a return to paper ballots would restore integrity to the process. However, election officials across the state, particularly those responsible for managing elections, are warning that the logistical challenges of hand-counting paper ballots could lead to chaos and delays.
Logistical Nightmare in Bexar County
Jacque Callanen, who heads elections for Bexar County, has been vocal in her criticism of the plan to switch to paper ballots. According to Callanen, under Texas state law, vote counting must begin on Election Day and cannot stop until all ballots are counted. She argues that hand-counting ballots would take far longer than the current system, warning that it would likely take over a month to complete the count in large jurisdictions like Bexar County, which encompasses San Antonio. “It’s a recipe for disaster,” Callanen stated, emphasizing that the sheer volume of ballots would overwhelm the system, leading to significant delays in declaring election results.
Callanen and other election officials also point to past examples of failed attempts at hand counting, such as an experiment in Fredericksburg, Texas. The small town attempted to count paper ballots manually, only to discover the process was riddled with errors, costly, and far too time-consuming. “The people calling for the elimination of computers don’t understand the logistics of what that would mean,” Callanen explained, adding that the accuracy of voting machines far surpasses that of manual counts, which are prone to human error.
Push for Paper Ballots Gains Momentum
Despite these warnings, conservative activists from Dallas to Texas’ southern border are rallying behind the idea of ditching electronic voting machines. They share Musk’s concerns about the vulnerability of these systems and are pushing for a statewide return to paper ballots. Advocates of this shift believe that doing away with machines will restore trust in the election process, especially among voters who have expressed skepticism about the results of recent elections.
Musk’s endorsement of paper ballots has added fuel to this movement. He has repeatedly raised concerns about the possibility of tampering with voting machines, calling for a system that relies solely on hand-marked, hand-counted paper ballots. “Crooked voting machines rig elections,” Musk recently tweeted, signaling his support for grassroots efforts to change how Texas conducts its elections.
The Cost of Change
Election administrators warn that hand counting is not only inefficient but also prohibitively expensive. Callanen and others estimate that switching to paper ballots would require a massive increase in staffing and resources, as thousands of workers would be needed to ensure accurate, timely counting. This would drastically increase the cost of running elections, and those expenses would likely fall on taxpayers.
Texas lawmakers are also weighing in on the debate. Some have expressed support for exploring alternatives to electronic voting machines, while others argue that the state should focus on improving the current systems to enhance security rather than scrapping them entirely. Any move to eliminate voting machines in Texas would require changes to state election laws, a process that would involve significant political wrangling.
The Road Ahead
With election integrity at the forefront of political discourse in Texas and nationwide, the conversation surrounding voting machines versus paper ballots is unlikely to fade any time soon. As activists push for change and election officials warn of the consequences, voters in Texas may soon find themselves at the center of a contentious debate over how elections are conducted. For now, the state’s top election administrators are urging caution, reminding the public that modernizing, rather than abandoning, voting technology may be the key to ensuring accurate and timely election results.
Image by kp yamu Jayanath from Pixabay
