Election vendor hits Texas counties with surcharge for software behind voter registration systems

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A California-based election services company is charging several large Texas counties tens of thousands of dollars in additional fees, sending election officials scrambling to pay the surcharges to preserve a crucial system that manages their voter registration.

The state’s primary runoff elections are next month.

Multiple Texas counties contract with VOTEC to provide software to maintain their voter registration system, but the company is now asking those jurisdictions to pay more. The San Diego firm did not return requests for comment from The Associated Press on Thursday.

The nonprofit news outlet Votebeat reported that VOTEC sent a message to the counties last month saying the “one-time” surcharge was because some counties were behind in payments and that additional problems with the company’s payroll and health insurance provider were causing financial pressure.

Daniel Ramos, executive director of the Office of Management and Budget in Harris County, which includes Houston and is the state’s most populous, said the county received new charges totaling $120,000. Ramos said the county would pay it soon because it relies heavily on the software.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Akshay Bhatia opens with a 63 to lead Texas Open by 3. Rory McIlroy is 6 back </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Total solar eclipse forecast: Will your city have clear skies Monday? </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline