6 people are charged in a Texas elections investigation involving 'vote harvesting'

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

6 people are charged in a Texas elections investigation involving ‘vote harvesting’

By NADIA LATHAN and JUAN LOZANO
Updated 7:19 PM EDT, May 7, 2025

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Six people in a rural Texas county, including two City Council members and a school board trustee, have been indicted in a widening elections investigation led by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, bringing felony charges to a case that Latino rights activists have criticized as politically driven.

The top executive in Frio County, home to about 18,000 residents, a county elections worker and a local resident were also among those indicted on May 1, Paxton said Wednesday. The charges expand an investigation that included raids last year on the homes of Latino campaign volunteers near San Antonio, including an 87-year-old woman, although none of them have been indicted.

Most of the six are charged with what is known in Texas as vote harvesting, a felony that often involves payment for collecting and dropping off other people’s absentee ballots. Several of the officials indicted in Frio County are accused of using Cash App to pay for vote harvesting services.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/texas-vote-harvesting-fraud-charges-68dc2acb26a90356d7a3b5ee7396ae0e