Democratic DA Furious After She's Initially Unable to Vote

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg experienced an unexpected election mishap during the Democratic primary when she arrived at the polls to cast her vote. Surprisingly, officials informed her that she had already voted, a revelation that caught her off guard, as reported by KTRK-TV.

Upon investigation, election officials discovered that Ogg's domestic partner, who shares the same address, had participated in early voting, using Ogg's name. This unusual incident prompted Ogg to caution voters about being vigilant in confirming their identity before casting their ballots.

Expressing her concern, Ogg emphasized the potential impact of such errors, stating, "I'm the top law enforcement official in the third-biggest jurisdiction in the nation. If it can happen to the district attorney, it can happen to anyone," as conveyed to CNN.

The glitch was promptly rectified, allowing Ogg to cast her vote later that day. Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth acknowledged the imperfections in the election process, stating, "There are no flawless elections. There are smooth elections, and we normally mitigate all of that in a very timely manner," according to KTRK.

Hudspeth issued a detailed explanation, clarifying that Ogg's partner unintentionally voted under Ogg's name during the early voting period. The statement outlined the standard procedure for voters to review and confirm their information on the iPad screen during qualification.

Ogg expressed reservations about the explanation, asserting that election judges and poll workers are responsible for preventing voter fraud. She disagreed with the suggestion that the mistake was solely the fault of the voter and voiced concerns about potential disenfranchisement.

"The entire reason that we have election judges and poll workers is to prevent voter fraud, so checking the ID against the person who is voting and against the rolls is entirely the job of the clerk," Ogg stated, expressing her shock at the attempt to shift blame onto the voter.

Despite the incident, Ogg urged voters to exercise patience, recognizing the potential impact on citizens facing time constraints due to work or family obligations. She hoped that such errors would not discourage individuals from participating in the democratic process.