A former election administrator and two Pearsall City Council members are among those accused of collecting absentee ballots during their election campaigns.
SAN ANTONIO — Authorities in Frio County, just southwest of San Antonio, say six current or former officials were arrested and face charges after an investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office into alleged voter harvesting.
Vote harvesting refers to when someone interacts with voters and intends “to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure,” according to Texas Election Code. It’s a crime in the state for someone to handle a voter’s ballot “in exchange for compensation.”
Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho and former Frio County Election Administrator Carlos Segura are among those arrested in connection with the investigation, Frio County Sheriff Peter Salinas confirmed. Segura faces a third-degree felony charge of tampering with evidence, while the five other suspects face anywhere from one to three counts of voter harvesting.
The others who face charges are Pearsall ISD Board Member Adriann Ramirez; election worker Rosa Rodriguez; and Pearsall City Council members Ramiro Trevino and Racheal Garza, whose terms were expected to end this year.
The circumstances surrounding the arrests aren’t clear as of yet, but the sheriff’s office says all suspects except for Camacho, who is currently dealing with a medical issue, turned themselves in. Each was given a $2,000 bond per count.
Each of the accused has bonded out.
Under Texas law, a person who knowingly provided or offered vote harvesting services in exchange for compensation is committing a third-degree felony.
“Violating the privacy and voting rights of elderly or disabled individuals will not be tolerated,” Judicial District Attorney Audrey Gossett Louis said in a statement. “Targeting these vulnerable voters to sway an election or secure a political position is a direct attack on the principles of our democracy. We are committed to protecting every citizen’s right to vote freely, fairly, and without intimidation..”