Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ These county officials in Texas just found a missing ballot box.

There are 836 ballots inside.

That’s enough to change the result of a $569 million bond election.
texastribune.org/2019/12/16/mis…

2/ Unofficial election results showed that a bond proposal to build two new schools in Midland ISD originally failed by 25 votes.

It passed by 11 votes after the recount last month.

(Corrected tweet) bit.ly/2Ep9NKQ

3/ However, last week, an employee found a box containing 836 ballots that weren't tallied in the recount. bit.ly/2Ep9NKQ

4/ Those 836 votes threaten to again reverse the results and void an election that would generate hundreds of millions of dollars for school construction in Midland County. bit.ly/2Ep9NKQ

5/ Deborah Land, elections administrator for the Midland County Elections Office, said she's not positive if she moved the box.

She said the office will learn from the blunder and do things differently during the next election. bit.ly/2Ep9NKQ

6/ The inaccurate recount result was made official on Nov. 15., but it isn’t automatically changed by the revelation of the uncounted votes.

Special PACs opposing and in favor of the bond proposal have filed with the district clerk to contest the results. bit.ly/2Ep9NKQ

7/7 Staffers began counting up the missing votes after the elections office obtained a court order to open the ballot box Monday morning.

The Office of the Secretary of State said it will be advising officials on how to proceed. bit.ly/2Ep9NKQ