El Paso Officials Hope To Save Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars Mounting Recall Election

After weeks of uncertainty surrounding the cost and date of the city of El Paso’s recall election against Mayor John Cook and two city representatives, it looks like the city will be able to save some money mounting the special election after all.

That uncertainty came down to whether or not the county’s election department could help run the city’s recall election.

The city would save hundreds of thousands of dollars if the county elections department ran it instead of hiring a third-party vendor.

However, the county elections department does not know whether it can commit to that help due to the unresolved statewide redistricting situation currently tangled up in federal court. Because of disputes over district lines, judges have not pinned down the exact date for the Texas primary election.

If the state’s primary election date is too close to the city’s recall election date, the county can not commit to running both.

However, county elections administrator Javier Chacon said the latest information indicates the state primaries will be delayed until late May or June. An official court order is still pending on that decision.

If that court order goes through, the county could help run the recall election for the city, thereby absorbing the brunt of the costs.

Meanwhile, the county elections department has already begun helping with preparations for the April 14th recall election by setting up early voting sites and making sure deadlines are met.

It’s important to note, however, the recall election could be delayed or canceled for a reason that has nothing to do with redistricting. A ruling from the court of appeals is still pending on a lawsuit filed by Mayor John Cook alleging recall organizers broke Texas election code.

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