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{{short description|Lawyer and Political Organizer}}
{{Infobox officeholder
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'''Christopher George Hollins''' <!-- (born: July 8, 1986) can be restored if [[WP:RS]] is found --> is a candidate for Mayor of [[Houston]], Texas and will appear on the ballot in the 2023 municipal elections.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Fechter|first=Joshua|date=February 7, 2020|title=Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins is running for mayor in 2023|publisher=Houston Public Media|url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2022/02/07/418665/former-harris-county-clerk-chris-hollins-is-running-for-mayor-in-2023/|url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to his candidacy, Hollins was an American [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] official and personal injury attorney who served as the interim Harris County Clerk and the Chief Elections Officer of [[Harris County, Texas]] from May to November 2020.

== Education ==
After graduating from [[Hightower High School]] in [[Missouri City, Texas]], Hollins received a full-ride scholarship to the historic [[Morehouse College]] where he earned entry into [[Phi Beta Kappa]] and a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in [[political science]].<ref name="Tezeno">{{Cite news|last=Tezeno|first=Diane|date=April 30, 2009|title=Former Hightower High School student selected to serve in White House Internship Program|publisher=Chron|url=https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/fortbend/news/article/Former-Hightower-High-School-student-selected-to-9307668.php|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, Hollins graduated from Morehouse [[magna cum laude]].<ref name="Tezeno"/> Following graduation, Hollins went on to earn a [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] from [[Yale Law School]], and an [[Master of Business Administration|M.B.A.]] from [[Harvard Business School]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.starcouriernews.com/2020/06/attorney-chris-hollins-new-harris-county-clerk/|title=Attorney Chris Hollins new Harris County Clerk|newspaper=Highlands Star/Crosby Courier}}</ref>

== General career ==
Hollins is the Vice Chair of the Texas [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] and a personal injury attorney.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Smith|first=David|date=January 30, 2022|title=Trump tours the country in support of candidates pushing the 'big lie'|publisher=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/30/trump-tours-the-country-endorsing-candidates-to-reinforce-the-big-lie|url-status=live}}</ref> Hollins' early professional experience includes positions with [[Goldman Sachs]] and [[McKinsey & Company]] where he operated as a management consultant.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hardy|first=Michael|date=January 2021|title=The Best Things in Texas, 2021: Lina Hidalgo and Chris Hollins|publisher=Texas Monthly|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-best-things-in-texas-2021-lina-hidalgo-chris-hollins/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Political career ==
On June 1, 2020, Hollins was appointed as interim [[county clerk]] of [[Harris County, Texas]] by a 3-2, party-line vote of the Harris County [[Commissioners Court]]. His predecessor, Diane Trautman, resigned from the position citing ill health.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Despart|first=Zach|date=2020-05-20|title=Texas Democratic Party official appointed interim Harris County clerk|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/Texas-Democratic-Party-official-appointed-interim-15282265.php|access-date=2020-10-09|website=HoustonChronicle.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Hollins-confident-experience-will-serve-him-as-15309383.php|title=Hollins confident experience will serve him as interim Harris County Clerk|first=Zach|last=Despart|date=June 2, 2020|website=HoustonChronicle.com}}</ref> At 34 years old, Hollins is the youngest person to have ever held the position and is also the first African American to hold the position.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vicetv.com/en_us/video/wednesday-september-16-2020/5f628156b32117103d119e81|title=Wednesday, September 16, 2020-VICE TV|website=Viceland}}</ref><ref name="The Rachel Maddow Show">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/MSNBCW_20201014_010000_The_Rachel_Maddow_Show|title=The Rachel Maddow Show|website=MSNBC}}</ref>

=== Obama Administration ===
In 2009, Hollins was chosen out of a pool of more than 6,000 applicants to serve as one of approximately 100 summer interns during the [[Presidency of Barack Obama]], 44th President of the United States.<ref name="Tezeno"/> As a White House intern, Hollins worked in the [[White House Office of Presidential Personnel|Office of Presidential Personnel]] which oversees the selection process for presidential appointments.<ref name="Tezeno"/> Prior to serving as the Harris County Clerk, Hollins regarded his White House internship experience as the most memorable of his professional career.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Jamail|first=Allan|date=June 4, 2020|title=Attorney Chris Hollins sworn in as new Harris County Clerk|publisher=North Channel Star|url=https://www.northchannelstar.com/2020/06/attorney-chris-hollins-sworn-in-as-new-harris-county-clerk/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Clerk for [[Harris County, Texas]]===
On May 16, 2020, the Commissioners Court for [[Harris County, Texas]] voted to appoint Hollins as Interim Clerk for Harris County by a 3-2, party-line vote after his predecessor, Diane Trautman, resigned from the position citing ill health.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zedakar|first=Hannah|date=May 20, 2020|title=Commissioners appoint Christopher Hollins interim Harris County clerk beginning June 1|publisher=Community Impact Newspaper|url=https://communityimpact.com/houston/spring-klein/vote/2020/05/20/commissioners-appoint-christopher-hollins-interim-harris-county-clerk-beginning-june-1/|url-status=live}}</ref> At 34 years old, Hollins was the youngest person to have ever held the position, as well as the first [[African American]] to hold the position.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vicetv.com/en_us/video/wednesday-september-16-2020/5f628156b32117103d119e81|title=September 16, 2020|publisher=VICE TV|website=Viceland}}</ref><ref name="The Rachel Maddow Show"/>

The Office of the Harris County Clerk is not only responsible for administering permits and other licenses or incorporation documents, but also responsible for managing all election responsibilities as the Harris County Elections Administrator.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Despart|first=Zack|date=June 1, 2020|title=Hollins confident experience will serve him as Harris County Clerk|publisher=Houston Chronicle|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Hollins-confident-experience-will-serve-him-as-15309383.php/|url-status=live}}</ref> As Elections Administrator, Hollins attracted national attention for his staunch commitment to voting rights and to eliminating the remnants of Jim Crow voting restrictions for the Harris County elections system.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Beragan|first=James|date=April 16, 2020|title=Former Harris County clerk: No regrets over voting programs that sparked Texas legislative backlash|publisher=The Dallas Morning News|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2021/04/16/former-harris-county-clerk-no-regrets-over-voting-programs-that-sparked-texas-legislative-backlash/|url-status=live}}</ref> Hollins also submitted a plan to separate the responsibilities of overseeing the election from the Office of the Harris County Clerk into a new, separate appointed position: Harris County Elections Administrator. His efforts in that arena resulted in Isabel Longoria, longtime community organizer and special adviser on voting rights to Hollins, being sworn in to the office via virtual ceremony on November 18, 2020.<ref name="Zedakar">{{Cite news|last=Zedakar|first=Hannah|date=November 18, 2020|title=Isabel Longoria sworn in as Harris County's first-ever elections administrator|publisher=Community Impact Newsletter|url=https://communityimpact.com/houston/spring-klein/election/2020/11/18/isabel-longoria-sworn-in-as-harris-countys-first-ever-elections-administrator/|url-status=live}}</ref> Longoria was the first to hold the position.<ref name="Zedakar"/>

===2020 U.S. Presidential Election and Texas Voting Restrictions===
{{see also|2020 United States presidential election in Texas}}

Hollins was vocal in opposing Texas governor [[Greg Abbott]]'s decision to allow only one drop-box per Texas county in the [[2020 United States presidential election|U.S. 2020 presidential election]]. [[Harris County, Texas|Harris County]], which is larger than the State of [[Rhode Island]] and has 2.4 million registered voters, had only one voting drop-box location. Based on Abbott's policy, voters at one end of the county would have had to drive over an hour to reach that box in order to submit their ballot.<ref>{{Citation|title=Texas governor being sued over limit on ballot drop boxes - CNN Video|url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/10/05/voters-texas-lawsuits-ballot-drop-off-locations-lavandera-dnt-newday-vpx.cnn|access-date=2020-10-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Texas Governor Limits Ballot Drop-Off Locations, Local Officials Vow To Fight Back|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/01/919283793/texas-governor-limits-ballot-drop-off-locations-local-officials-vow-to-fight-bac|access-date=2020-10-09|website=NPR.org|language=en}}</ref> On October 9, 2020, U.S. District Judge [[Robert L. Pitman]] issued an injunction blocking Abbott's order limiting the number of ballot drop-off sites to one per county; Pitman wrote that the governor's order placed "older and disabled voters living in Texas's largest and most populous counties must travel further distances to more crowded ballot return centers where they would be at an increased risk of being infected by the coronavirus in order to exercise their right to vote and have it counted" and that voters risked being [[disenfranchisement|disenfranchised]] if the [[2020 United States Postal Service crisis|U.S. Postal Service failed to deliver their ballots]] in time.<ref name=ABC>{{Cite web|last=Deliso|first=Meredith|title=Judge blocks Texas governor's order limiting number of ballot drop-off sites|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/judge-blocks-texas-governors-order-limiting-number-ballot/story?id=73539644|date=2020-10-10|access-date=2020-10-10|website=ABC News|language=en}}</ref> Days later, however, Pitman's order was reversed by the [[U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit]].<ref>Bill Chappell, [https://www.npr.org/2020/10/13/923216392/u-s-appeals-court-sides-with-texas-on-one-per-county-ballot-drop-off U.S. Appeals Court Sides With Texas On One-Per-County Ballot Drop-Off], NPR (October 13, 2020).</ref><ref>Josh Gertsein, [https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/13/texas-governor-ballot-dropboxes-limit-429138 Appeals court reinstates Texas governor's limit on ballot dropboxes], ''Politico'' (October 13, 2020).</ref>

Hollins sought to send out applications for postal (mail-in) ballots for the general election to each registered voter to Harris County. This plan was challenged by Republican officials, however, and was blocked by the [[Supreme Court of Texas]] in October 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|first1=Ashley|last1=Killough|first2=Veronica|last2=Stracqualursi|title=Texas Supreme Court rules Harris County cannot mail out ballot applications to all registered voters|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/07/politics/texas-harris-county-ballot-applications/index.html|access-date=2020-10-09|website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Gershman|first=Jacob|date=2020-10-07|title=Houston Can't Send Unsolicited Mail-In Ballot Applications, Judges Rule|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/houston-cant-send-unsolicited-mail-in-ballot-applications-judges-rule-11602095574|access-date=2020-10-09|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Other policies instituted by Hollins include expansion of in-person voting locations, the introduction of drive-through voting, developing [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]] safety guidelines regarding voting, extending voting hours to include 24-hour voting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/09/19/914715433/texas-supreme-court-blocks-harris-county-clerk-from-sending-voters-mail-in-ballo|title=Texas Supreme Court Blocks Harris County Clerk From Sending Voters Mail-In Ballots|first=Scott|last=Simon|date=September 19, 2020|website=NPR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/election-2020/2020/06/15/376172/hollins-unveils-new-voter-safety-initiatives/|title=New Harris County Clerk Unveils Voter Safety Initiatives|first=Andrew|last=Schneider|date=June 15, 2020|website=Houston Public Media}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Zedaker|first=Hannah|date=2020-07-23|title=Harris County clerk requests early voting extension, pilots drive-thru voting ahead of November election|url=https://communityimpact.com/houston/spring-klein/vote/2020/07/23/harris-county-clerk-requests-early-voting-extension-pilots-drive-thru-voting-ahead-of-november-election/|access-date=2020-10-09|website=impact|language=English}}</ref><ref name=ABC/>

On November 1, 2020, days before Election Day, the Supreme Court of Texas threw out a Republican challenge seeking to invalidate about 127,000 votes cast via the drive-through voting program Hollins implemented.<ref>{{Cite news|last=McCullough|first=Jolie|date=November 1, 2020|title=Texas Supreme Court rejects Republican-led effort to throw out nearly 127,000 Harris County votes|work=Texas Tribune|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/01/texas-drive-thru-votes-harris-county/|url-status=live}}</ref> Two days later a federal judge upheld the legitimacy of drive-through votes, rejecting a similar Republican effort to invalidate votes case through this method.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kates|first=Graham|date=November 3, 2020|title=Federal judge rejects latest attempt to block nearly 127,000 drive-thru votes in Texas|publisher=CBS News|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-judge-rejects-lawsuit-throw-out-votes-drive-thru-harris-county-texas/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On September 7, 2021, [[Governor Greg Abbott]] responded to the voting modifications Hollins put in place during his tenure as Clerk by signing a voting bill
that includes sweeping legislation to tighten state election laws and constrain local control of elections by limiting the ability to expand voting options at the county level.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ura|first=Alexa|date=September 7, 2021|title=Gov. Greg Abbott signs Texas voting bill into law, overcoming Democratic quorum breaks|publisher=The Texas Tribune|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2021/09/01/texas-voting-bill-greg-abbott/|url-status=live}}</ref> The voting bill was scheduled to take effect just in time for the 2022 primary elections, but has since been stuck in federal court by a flurry of legal challenges to its potential to disproportionately impede the voting rights specifically as to people of color or with disabilities.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ura|first=Alexa|date=September 7, 2021|title=Gov. Greg Abbott signs Texas voting bill into law, overcoming Democratic quorum breaks|publisher=The Texas Tribune|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2021/09/01/texas-voting-bill-greg-abbott/|url-status=live}}</ref> If the bill overcomes the challenges it now faces, it will restrict how and when voters are able to cast their respective ballots; target voting initiatives implemented in the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] and diverse Harris County by banning overnight early voting hours and drive-thru voting which were options frequently employed by voters of color in 2021; further restrict already significantly limited voting-by-mail rules; grant free movement to partisan poll watchers as well as increased autonomy; set new rules for voter assistance, including additional criminal penalties; and make it a felony with a punishment of imprisonment to proactively distribute applications for mail-in ballots even where they are providing those applications to persons who automatically qualify to vote by mail.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ura|first=Alexa|date=September 7, 2021|title=Gov. Greg Abbott signs Texas voting bill into law, overcoming Democratic quorum breaks|publisher=The Texas Tribune|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2021/09/01/texas-voting-bill-greg-abbott/|url-status=live}}</ref> On February 11, 2022, U.S. District Judge [[Xavier Rodriguez]] blocked the portion of the law which makes it a crime for election officials to send out vote-by-mail applications to registered voters who had not requested one on the basis that it amounts to unlawful viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.<ref name="Lindell">{{Cite news|last=Lindell|first=Chuck|date=February 11, 2021|title=Federal judge blocks new Texas law limiting vote-by-mail applications|publisher=Austin American Statesman|url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/02/11/federal-judge-blocks-new-texas-voting-law-limiting-vote-mail-applications/6756407001/}}</ref> In issuing his ruling, Judge [[Xavier Rodriguez]] said, "The State of Texas has no power to restrict expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter, or its content."<ref name="Lindell"/>

===Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County===
After his tenure as County Clerk, Hollins was appointed to sit on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stuckey|first=Timothy|date=March 13, 2021|title=Recent appointee to METRO board shares thoughts on new position|publisher=Urban Reform|url=https://urbanreform.org/stories/577709494-recent-appointee-to-metro-board-shares-thoughts-on-new-position}}</ref>

==Television Appearances==
In November 2020, Hollins appeared on various national and local news programs to discuss the Harris County elections, including, but not limited to MSNBC Programming.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mitchel|first=Andrea|date=June 2, 2021|title=Fmr. Harris County Clerk: State voting restrictions 'target' more diverse counties|publisher=MSNBC|url=https://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/fmr-harris-county-clerk-state-voting-restrictions-target-more-diverse-counties-114210373900}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=March 21, 2021|title=Texas GOP ramps up attacks against voting access|url=https://www.msnbc.com/american-voices/watch/texas-gop-ramps-up-attacks-against-voting-access-108899909697}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Tur|first=Katy|date=October 15, 2020|title=Fed. court rules against GOP suit to limit drive-thru voting|url=https://www.msnbc.com/katy-tur/watch/fed-court-rules-against-gop-suit-to-limit-drive-thru-voting-93913669541}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=April 3, 2021|title=Advocates demand Texas businesses speak out against restrictive voting bills|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/Health/medical/advocates-demand-texas-businesses-speak-out-against-restrictive-voting-bills/vp-BB1fhqAH?ocid=a2hs}}</ref>

Following his tenure as Clerk, Hollins continued making national and local news appearances, including, but not limited to KTRK-TV (ABC);<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gaston|first=Gina|title=Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins reveals his next move|date=November 25, 2020|url=https://abc13.com/chris-collins-harris-county-clerk-hollins-houston-texas-instagram-who-is/8264468/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Gaston|first=Gina|title=Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins running for Houston mayor in 2023|date=February 7, 2022|url=https://abc13.com/houston-mayor-mayoral-candidate-chris-hollins-2023-election/11544288/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Homer|first=Michelle|title=Chris Hollins will run to replace Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner|date=February 7, 2022|url=https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/chris-hollins-running-houston-mayor/285-ae6819fb-30cb-49c8-958b-b0047e25c8ac}}</ref> Ayman;<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mohyeldin|first=Ayman|title=Texas Democrat on the hypocrisy of state GOP election officials|date=February 20, 2022|url=https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/texas-democrat-on-the-hypocrisy-of-state-gop-election-officials-133638725667c}}</ref> and Zerlina.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Zerlina|last=Maxwell|title=Early voting begins in Texas|date=February 14, 2022|url=https://www.msnbc.com/zerlina/watch/early-voting-begins-in-texas-133156421985}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Lina Hidalgo]], [[county judge]] of Harris County

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web|last=Medley|first=Alison|url=https://www.chron.com/news/election2020/article/harris-county-clerk-chris-hollins-15688964.php|title=Meet the Harris County official fighting on the front lines against voter suppression|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=2020-10-30}}
* {{cite web|last=Tezeno|first=Diane|url=https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/fortbend/news/article/Former-Hightower-High-School-student-selected-to-9307668.php|title=Former Hightower High School student selected to serve in White House Internship Program|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=2009-04-30}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.hollinsfortexas.com/ Official campaign website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollins, Christopher}}
[[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Harris County, Texas]]
[[Category:Texas Democrats]]
[[Category:African-American people in Texas politics]]
[[Category:County officials in Texas]]
[[Category:Morehouse College alumni]]
[[Category:Yale Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard Business School alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American people]]

Revision as of 01:10, 17 March 2022

Chris Hollins may refer to:

Chris Hollins
File:Hollins+solo-47.jpg
Mayoral Candidate
Personal details
Born
Christopher George Hollins
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Morgan Upshaw Hollins
​
​
(m. 2015)​
Children2
BildungMorehouse College (BA)
Yale Law School (JD)
Harvard Business School (MBA)
OccupationAttorney at Law
Known forClerk for Harris County, Texas in the 2020 Presidential Election
WebsiteCampaign Website
NicknameChris

Christopher George Hollins is a candidate for Mayor of Houston, Texas and will appear on the ballot in the 2023 municipal elections.[1] Prior to his candidacy, Hollins was an American Democratic Party official and personal injury attorney who served as the interim Harris County Clerk and the Chief Elections Officer of Harris County, Texas from May to November 2020.

Bildung

After graduating from Hightower High School in Missouri City, Texas, Hollins received a full-ride scholarship to the historic Morehouse College where he earned entry into Phi Beta Kappa and a B.A. in political science.[2] In 2007, Hollins graduated from Morehouse magna cum laude.[2] Following graduation, Hollins went on to earn a J.D. from Yale Law School, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.[3]

General career

Hollins is the Vice Chair of the Texas Democratic Party and a personal injury attorney.[4] Hollins' early professional experience includes positions with Goldman Sachs and McKinsey & Company where he operated as a management consultant.[5]

Political career

On June 1, 2020, Hollins was appointed as interim county clerk of Harris County, Texas by a 3-2, party-line vote of the Harris County Commissioners Court. His predecessor, Diane Trautman, resigned from the position citing ill health.[6][7] At 34 years old, Hollins is the youngest person to have ever held the position and is also the first African American to hold the position.[8][9]

Obama Administration

In 2009, Hollins was chosen out of a pool of more than 6,000 applicants to serve as one of approximately 100 summer interns during the Presidency of Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States.[2] As a White House intern, Hollins worked in the Office of Presidential Personnel which oversees the selection process for presidential appointments.[2] Prior to serving as the Harris County Clerk, Hollins regarded his White House internship experience as the most memorable of his professional career.[10]

Clerk for Harris County, Texas

On May 16, 2020, the Commissioners Court for Harris County, Texas voted to appoint Hollins as Interim Clerk for Harris County by a 3-2, party-line vote after his predecessor, Diane Trautman, resigned from the position citing ill health.[11] At 34 years old, Hollins was the youngest person to have ever held the position, as well as the first African American to hold the position.[12][9]

The Office of the Harris County Clerk is not only responsible for administering permits and other licenses or incorporation documents, but also responsible for managing all election responsibilities as the Harris County Elections Administrator.[13] As Elections Administrator, Hollins attracted national attention for his staunch commitment to voting rights and to eliminating the remnants of Jim Crow voting restrictions for the Harris County elections system.[14] Hollins also submitted a plan to separate the responsibilities of overseeing the election from the Office of the Harris County Clerk into a new, separate appointed position: Harris County Elections Administrator. His efforts in that arena resulted in Isabel Longoria, longtime community organizer and special adviser on voting rights to Hollins, being sworn in to the office via virtual ceremony on November 18, 2020.[15] Longoria was the first to hold the position.[15]

2020 U.S. Presidential Election and Texas Voting Restrictions

See also: 2020 United States presidential election in Texas

Hollins was vocal in opposing Texas governor Greg Abbott's decision to allow only one drop-box per Texas county in the U.S. 2020 presidential election. Harris County, which is larger than the State of Rhode Island and has 2.4 million registered voters, had only one voting drop-box location. Based on Abbott's policy, voters at one end of the county would have had to drive over an hour to reach that box in order to submit their ballot.[16][17] On October 9, 2020, U.S. District Judge Robert L. Pitman issued an injunction blocking Abbott's order limiting the number of ballot drop-off sites to one per county; Pitman wrote that the governor's order placed "older and disabled voters living in Texas's largest and most populous counties must travel further distances to more crowded ballot return centers where they would be at an increased risk of being infected by the coronavirus in order to exercise their right to vote and have it counted" and that voters risked being disenfranchised if the U.S. Postal Service failed to deliver their ballots in time.[18] Days later, however, Pitman's order was reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.[19][20]

Hollins sought to send out applications for postal (mail-in) ballots for the general election to each registered voter to Harris County. This plan was challenged by Republican officials, however, and was blocked by the Supreme Court of Texas in October 2020.[21][22] Other policies instituted by Hollins include expansion of in-person voting locations, the introduction of drive-through voting, developing COVID-19 safety guidelines regarding voting, extending voting hours to include 24-hour voting.[23][24][25][18]

On November 1, 2020, days before Election Day, the Supreme Court of Texas threw out a Republican challenge seeking to invalidate about 127,000 votes cast via the drive-through voting program Hollins implemented.[26] Two days later a federal judge upheld the legitimacy of drive-through votes, rejecting a similar Republican effort to invalidate votes case through this method.[27]

On September 7, 2021, Governor Greg Abbott responded to the voting modifications Hollins put in place during his tenure as Clerk by signing a voting bill that includes sweeping legislation to tighten state election laws and constrain local control of elections by limiting the ability to expand voting options at the county level.[28] The voting bill was scheduled to take effect just in time for the 2022 primary elections, but has since been stuck in federal court by a flurry of legal challenges to its potential to disproportionately impede the voting rights specifically as to people of color or with disabilities.[29] If the bill overcomes the challenges it now faces, it will restrict how and when voters are able to cast their respective ballots; target voting initiatives implemented in the Democratic and diverse Harris County by banning overnight early voting hours and drive-thru voting which were options frequently employed by voters of color in 2021; further restrict already significantly limited voting-by-mail rules; grant free movement to partisan poll watchers as well as increased autonomy; set new rules for voter assistance, including additional criminal penalties; and make it a felony with a punishment of imprisonment to proactively distribute applications for mail-in ballots even where they are providing those applications to persons who automatically qualify to vote by mail.[30] On February 11, 2022, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez blocked the portion of the law which makes it a crime for election officials to send out vote-by-mail applications to registered voters who had not requested one on the basis that it amounts to unlawful viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.[31] In issuing his ruling, Judge Xavier Rodriguez said, "The State of Texas has no power to restrict expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter, or its content."[31]

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County

After his tenure as County Clerk, Hollins was appointed to sit on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County.[32]

Television Appearances

In November 2020, Hollins appeared on various national and local news programs to discuss the Harris County elections, including, but not limited to MSNBC Programming.[33][34][35][36]

Following his tenure as Clerk, Hollins continued making national and local news appearances, including, but not limited to KTRK-TV (ABC);[37][38][39] Ayman;[40] and Zerlina.[41]

See also

References

  1. ^ Fechter, Joshua (February 7, 2020). "Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins is running for mayor in 2023". Houston Public Media.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c d Tezeno, Diane (April 30, 2009). "Former Hightower High School student selected to serve in White House Internship Program". Chron.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "Attorney Chris Hollins new Harris County Clerk". Highlands Star/Crosby Courier.
  4. ^ Smith, David (January 30, 2022). "Trump tours the country in support of candidates pushing the 'big lie'". The Guardian.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Hardy, Michael (January 2021). "The Best Things in Texas, 2021: Lina Hidalgo and Chris Hollins". Texas Monthly.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ Despart, Zach (2020-05-20). "Texas Democratic Party official appointed interim Harris County clerk". HoustonChronicle.com. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  7. ^ Despart, Zach (June 2, 2020). "Hollins confident experience will serve him as interim Harris County Clerk". HoustonChronicle.com.
  8. ^ "Wednesday, September 16, 2020-VICE TV". Viceland.
  9. ^ a b "The Rachel Maddow Show". MSNBC.
  10. ^ Jamail, Allan (June 4, 2020). "Attorney Chris Hollins sworn in as new Harris County Clerk". North Channel Star.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Zedakar, Hannah (May 20, 2020). "Commissioners appoint Christopher Hollins interim Harris County clerk beginning June 1". Community Impact Newspaper.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "September 16, 2020". Viceland. VICE TV.
  13. ^ Despart, Zack (June 1, 2020). "Hollins confident experience will serve him as Harris County Clerk". Houston Chronicle.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Beragan, James (April 16, 2020). "Former Harris County clerk: No regrets over voting programs that sparked Texas legislative backlash". The Dallas Morning News.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ a b Zedakar, Hannah (November 18, 2020). "Isabel Longoria sworn in as Harris County's first-ever elections administrator". Community Impact Newsletter.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Texas governor being sued over limit on ballot drop boxes - CNN Video, retrieved 2020-10-09
  17. ^ "Texas Governor Limits Ballot Drop-Off Locations, Local Officials Vow To Fight Back". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  18. ^ a b Deliso, Meredith (2020-10-10). "Judge blocks Texas governor's order limiting number of ballot drop-off sites". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  19. ^ Bill Chappell, U.S. Appeals Court Sides With Texas On One-Per-County Ballot Drop-Off, NPR (October 13, 2020).
  20. ^ Josh Gertsein, Appeals court reinstates Texas governor's limit on ballot dropboxes, Politico (October 13, 2020).
  21. ^ Killough, Ashley; Stracqualursi, Veronica. "Texas Supreme Court rules Harris County cannot mail out ballot applications to all registered voters". CNN. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  22. ^ Gershman, Jacob (2020-10-07). "Houston Can't Send Unsolicited Mail-In Ballot Applications, Judges Rule". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  23. ^ Simon, Scott (September 19, 2020). "Texas Supreme Court Blocks Harris County Clerk From Sending Voters Mail-In Ballots". NPR.
  24. ^ Schneider, Andrew (June 15, 2020). "New Harris County Clerk Unveils Voter Safety Initiatives". Houston Public Media.
  25. ^ Zedaker, Hannah (2020-07-23). "Harris County clerk requests early voting extension, pilots drive-thru voting ahead of November election". impact. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  26. ^ McCullough, Jolie (November 1, 2020). "Texas Supreme Court rejects Republican-led effort to throw out nearly 127,000 Harris County votes". Texas Tribune.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ Kates, Graham (November 3, 2020). "Federal judge rejects latest attempt to block nearly 127,000 drive-thru votes in Texas". CBS News.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ Ura, Alexa (September 7, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott signs Texas voting bill into law, overcoming Democratic quorum breaks". The Texas Tribune.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ Ura, Alexa (September 7, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott signs Texas voting bill into law, overcoming Democratic quorum breaks". The Texas Tribune.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ Ura, Alexa (September 7, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott signs Texas voting bill into law, overcoming Democratic quorum breaks". The Texas Tribune.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ a b Lindell, Chuck (February 11, 2021). "Federal judge blocks new Texas law limiting vote-by-mail applications". Austin American Statesman.
  32. ^ Stuckey, Timothy (March 13, 2021). "Recent appointee to METRO board shares thoughts on new position". Urban Reform.
  33. ^ Mitchel, Andrea (June 2, 2021). "Fmr. Harris County Clerk: State voting restrictions 'target' more diverse counties". MSNBC.
  34. ^ "Texas GOP ramps up attacks against voting access". March 21, 2021.
  35. ^ Tur, Katy (October 15, 2020). "Fed. court rules against GOP suit to limit drive-thru voting".
  36. ^ "Advocates demand Texas businesses speak out against restrictive voting bills". April 3, 2021.
  37. ^ Gaston, Gina (November 25, 2020). "Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins reveals his next move".
  38. ^ Gaston, Gina (February 7, 2022). "Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins running for Houston mayor in 2023".
  39. ^ Homer, Michelle (February 7, 2022). "Chris Hollins will run to replace Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner".
  40. ^ Mohyeldin, Ayman (February 20, 2022). "Texas Democrat on the hypocrisy of state GOP election officials".
  41. ^ Maxwell, Zerlina (February 14, 2022). "Early voting begins in Texas".

Further reading

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