MARFA — When Presidio County Precinct 1 Commissioner Deirdre Hisler volunteered to be an election clerk for the midterm elections, she wanted to highlight the importance of others stepping up for a job that’s hard to fill. “I wanted to set a good example,” she said.
But unbeknownst to Hisler, her taking that position isn’t allowed under state law, and she found herself packing up her stuff and leaving the early voting polling place Monday after hearing the news that elected officials can’t serve as election clerks or judges, even if they aren’t on the ballot.
Hisler said she went to County Clerk Carolina Cataño a couple of months ago to see if it was allowed under law for her to be a clerk. In a call to the Secretary of State’s Office, Cataño was incorrectly told it was allowed. After someone spotted Hisler working the polls, they called Cataño to complain. When Cataño called the Secretary of State’s Office Monday, a different person told her that it was not allowed by law. (Cataño confirmed this sequence of events.)
Indeed, Section 32.052(a) of the Texas Election Code states: “A person who holds an elective public office is ineligible to serve as an election judge or clerk in an election.”
Hisler said it was an honest mistake that was corrected immediately.
