Carter Casteel On The Recount Request

I just got off the phone with State Rep. Carter Casteel (R-New Braunfels) concerning her request for a recount in HD-73.

First off, I’ll note that Rep. Casteel gave me some important information that will help readers clarify the military ballot process. Rep. Casteel said that a number of the military ballots that were sent out will likely never be returned for a very simple reason: election officials are required to continue sending ballots for a few suceeding elections following the one a service member initially requested a ballot for. It is, therefore, likely that some of those mailed-out ballots were mailed to people who first requested a ballot for the presidential election in 2004.

Rep. Casteel also reported that, so far 9 military ballots had come in in Comal County, 3 had come in in Bandera County, 2 in Gillespe County and none in Kendall County. And, don’t forget: there are still seven provisional ballots in Comal County.

Here’s what Rep. Casteel had to say about the recount:

“First of all, part of me has accepted the decision of Tuesday. That’s just kind of the way I operate. I realize that 44 votes is close. I’m not sure, with these kinds of machines [optical scan], that I can make that up.”

She also had this to say about her supporters and reasons for requesting the recount:

“People have been so upset in not just this district, but all over the state; Members of the Texas House have called me in droves. I feel I owe it to my colleagues, my supporters and my district—whether people voted for me or not.”

In addition, Casteel spoke very highly of election workers in her District, and noted that she doesn’t believe there was any election fraud or related issues:

“They [people who work the elections] are honest and upfront and have so much integrity. I’ve known and worked with most of them. I’m comfortable there are no missing ballots or anything like that,” she said.

Casteel also addressed the issues of of a number of “undervotes” in one area of her district as well, noting that she believed that was easily explainable. First, for those of you who don’t know, an undervote is a ballot missing one or more votes for specific offices that do not invalidate voting for other offices on the same ballot.

Regarding the undervote, Casteel said she believed it may be because members of the Texas Toll Party encouraged some Democratic voters to cross over and vote against her on the single issue of toll roads.

Aside from those few affiliated with the Toll Party, Casteel did note that she did receive good support from Democrats across her district.

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