HOUSTON (Covering Katy News) — Former Harris County elections employee Darryl Blackburn is facing multiple charges for his alleged role in causing significant disruptions during the November 2022 election, including a shortage of ballots at several polling stations, such as Taylor High School in Katy.
The announcement was made by Harris County Democratic District Attorney Kim Ogg at a news conference on Tuesday.
Man in charge of ballots had a secret career
Blackburn, 35, who worked at the Harris County Elections Division, was often allowed to work from home. However, investigators say he was actually employed full-time at an oil and gas firm in The Woodlands. He is accused of tampering with his time sheets, government documents, and theft by a public servant. Investigators allege he was secretly working two jobs on Election Day, when he was supposed to be focused on responsibilities including the proper distribution of ballot paper.
Investigators say there were three days in 2022 on which Blackburn claimed to work more than 24 hours in a day. Those days were Election Day, November 8; March 1; and May 24.
Blackburn’s failure to distribute an appropriate amount of ballot paper to the polls is said to have contributed to widespread chaos on Election Day. People could not vote because many polls ran out of ballot paper even though there was an adequate supply in storage.
Were Republican Voters Targeted?
There are allegations that the paper ballot shortage happened primarily on the county’s Westside, which traditionally votes Republican. However, the investigation did not show that the shortage of ballots was directed at one particular party, according to Ogg. Still, she says it did impact people’s right to vote.
"We know that voting was disrupted. We know that there were some people in Harris County that did not get to vote," Ogg said.
Erosion of Public Trust
The District Attorney noted that Blackburn not only stole from Harris County through timesheet fraud but also eroded trust in the Harris County election system.
"It's compounded by the public's loss of trust in our election system here in Harris County," Ogg said of Blackburn’s actions. "The millions lost (in the cost of investigations) do not compare to the damage done in terms of whether people will feel good about going to vote."
The ballot shortages were a major issue during the November 2022 election. According to a report from the Office of the Secretary of State’s Elections Division, insufficient distribution of ballot paper and a lack of effective monitoring led to shortages at multiple polling locations. The report also noted that some polling stations had to cease voting due to the shortage. It is not possible to quantify how many voters cast their ballots at another voting location and how many never voted at all.
The audit revealed that voting at 38 polls stopped for one hour or more due to equipment malfunctions, ballot paper shortages, and other disruptions. Blackburn’s alleged failure to deliver ballot paper as required is believed to have played a significant role in these issues.
“This case isn’t about the election — it’s about timesheets,” Houston attorney Charles Flood said in a statement. Flood represents Blackburn. “The Texas Rangers made clear that the evidence shows no intent or attempt to influence the 2022 election, so it seems Ms. Ogg’s only motivation is to try and claim my client as some sort of consolation prize.”
Ogg disagrees with Flood’s claims that this case is only about timesheets.
“Darryl Blackburn stole from the public in three ways,” Ogg said. “He stole money by claiming he was working when he was not. He stole votes by depriving voters of the ability to cast their ballots. And he stole the public’s confidence in the electoral system by single-handedly closing polling locations at a time when faith in the system is already at historic lows.”
Blackburn is charged with a total of six crimes. He faces tampering with a government document in five separate charges— all of which are state jail felonies— and one charge of theft by a public servant, which is a third-degree felony. The tampering charges are related to falsified work records.
Blackburn is also facing a charge of theft by a public servant for collecting over $20,000 in paid parental leave benefits from May to early August 2022 while not fulfilling his duties at the Elections Division.
How we got here
The election process became riddled with problems and irregularities after Democrats on the Commissioners Court took control of elections away from the elected county clerk and placed it in the hands of an unelected elections administrator.
Problems with Blackburn were the culmination of election issues that arose after the role of elections administrator was created.
Blackburn worked for two different elections administrators, who were appointed by the Democratic-controlled Harris County Commissioners Court.
"Unfortunately, under the not-so-watchful eye of Isabel Longoria and later Clifford Tatum, Mr. Blackburn represented that he worked full-time for Harris County while in truth he worked a second full-time job elsewhere," Ogg said. "The result was that he did not do his job for Harris County."
The Harris County Elections Administrator’s office was shut down on January 1, 2024, primarily due to concerns about the management and administration of elections. Specific issues included:
- Election Management Issues: Problems related to the execution of elections, including delays in vote counting, malfunctioning equipment, and concerns about the accuracy of the election process.
- Administrative Decisions: The Harris County Commissioners Court and other local officials were critical of how the elections were being administered, including decisions made by the elections administrator.
- Political and Legal Pressures: Political pressures and legal challenges also played a role. The office faced scrutiny from different political factions and legal challenges related to election processes and administration.
Who Manages Harris County Elections Now
The duties previously handled by the elections administrator were transferred back to the Harris County Clerk’s Office, which had historically managed the county’s elections. The Harris County Clerk is an elected official, Teneshia Hudspeth, a Democrat.