Harris County has dropped a lawsuit challenging the new state law that eliminated the unelected and unaccountable “Elections Administrator” position in Texas’s largest counties.
SB 1750 was adopted in 2023 after Harris County experienced multiple problems administering its elections. The law eliminates the Elections Administrator position in Harris County—an appointed position—and returns those powers to the Tax Assessor-Collector and the County Clerk, which are elected positions.
Harris County sued to enjoin the operation of SB 1750 on the grounds that it was an unconstitutional “local law” under Article III, section 56 of the Constitution. The Office of the Attorney General (“OAG”) countered that the legislature had a reasonable basis for the law: Harris County is the most populous county in Texas, and, as such, has an outsized statewide impact on elections—as evidenced by the county’s past significant difficulty with election administration.
Initially, a Travis County district judge ruled that the law violated the Texas Constitution. The OAG immediately stayed the ruling by appealing to the Texas Supreme Court. Harris County abandoned their lawsuit prior to the Court hearing arguments that were scheduled for November 28.
“Elections in our state must never be vulnerable to incompetent and unaccountable actors. Improperly administered elections undermine Texas voters’ trust and confidence when they should be entitled to total reliability and transparency,” said Attorney General Paxton. “I’m proud my team sprang into action to defend this important law when it was challenged."