Democrats actually have a chance of winning a few races in Texas this year, but to do so, they have to be able to vote. In Harris County, a key county where
“„Harris County’s election administrator, Beverly Kaufman has scrambled to fill the void, borrowing machines from 15 other Texas counties — and even one in Colorado — as well as printing paper ballots and buying other equipment. Kaufman predicts that by Election Day, Harris County will have up to 5,000 of the usual 5,700 machines they typically field, meaning that each of the county’s 730 polling stations will be one machine short.
“„Travis County had purchased surplus machines to handle large numbers of voters during the 2008 elections (when turnout was above 60 percent), and that the county would be able to accommodate a smaller gubernatorial election (when turnout is typically between 40-50 percent) without the extra machines.