Potter County Republicans Sue to Block Texas Election Certification

The Potter County Republican Party and its chairman, Daniel Rogers, filed a lawsuit in Texas seeking to block the certification of election results until every paper ballot is counted by hand. Filed against county elections administrator Christy Benge, the suit cites concerns over artificial intelligence, hacking risks, and foreign-made machine parts from China. The plaintiffs admit they are not alleging that specific votes were altered or that previous results were incorrect, but they argue that existing sample audits are inadequate.

The case is being heard in Amarillo by Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk. The plaintiffs are requesting that the court certify a class of Texas county election administrators with Benge as the representative. The lawsuit seeks to establish that a full hand count should take precedence over machine results if discrepancies occur.

Voting rights advocates warn that such challenges could be driven by disinformation. Under the Texas Election Code, certification is a mandatory ministerial duty, and failing to certify valid votes is a felony. Certification responsibilities are divided by race: county commissioners courts must certify local elections by November 17, while Governor Greg Abbott and Secretary of State Robert Howden handle statewide and congressional races between November 21 and December 7. House Speaker Dustin Burrows is responsible for certifying the governor and lieutenant governor races by January 12, 2027.