Race between Lina Hidalgo and Alex Mealer ‘too close,’ awaiting final votes
Alex #Alex
The race for Harris County judge remains undecided following an eventful but uncertain Election Night.
A tighter-than-anticipated showdown between Lina Hidalgo and first-time political candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer remains up in the air Wednesday morning following an eventful and drama-packed Election Night throughout Harris County.
Delays and polling machine issues slowed vote casting and tallying Tuesday night, resulting in the county’s most anticipated race remaining undecided and without a clear timeline for resolution as of Wednesday morning. Unofficial poll results published by The Texas Tribune on Wednesday morning show a compelling but incomplete picture of the race, with Hidalgo leading Mealer by fewer than two points with 774 of the 782 polling centers reporting. This gap amounts to a little more than 15,000 votes separating the two candidates, well within in the margin of error.
Hidalgo has yet to comment publicly on social media in regards to the race, while Mealer’s last communication came before the end of polling hours Tuesday. The Republican tweeted a message warning conservative voters to avoid a number of local polling locations that had reported paper shortages, just one of a number setbacks seen at voting locations in Harris County over the course of Election Day.
Further complicating matters is the prospect of provisional votes cast in Harris County on Tuesday night. The county is currently sequestering all ballots cast by voters who entered polling lines after 7 p.m. CT Tuesday in response to an order issued by the Texas Supreme Court. The high body asked election officials to separate provisional ballots cast during a one-hour extension window offered to voters due to delays at poll centers in the county.