Montgomery County Elections investigating possible electioneering by poll worker

Officials with Montgomery County Elections Central are investigating allegations of electioneering by a poll worker at an early voting location.

A woman claims that on Friday at the South County Community Center in The Woodlands, she was told to throw away a candidate push card and that the poll worker told her how to vote -- while she was inside the early voting building.

Resident Valori Greene said the poll worker took away her campaign material for Gordy Bunch, who is seeking re-election on The Woodlands Township Board of Directors. Greena claims the man instructed her to throw it away and not vote for Bunch.

"I was confused and somewhat angry because this is not what voting is," Greene said. "I walked out of there with not a good feeling at all. He violated my amendment rights."

Election Administrator Suzie Harvey, who said she is concerned about the incident, confirmed that poll workers are paid county employees.

"I haven't gotten all the details, but we are looking into it," Harvey said. "I am taking this very seriously."

According to Chapter 61 of the Election Code, a person commits an offense if, during the voting period and within 100 feet of an outside door through which a voter may enter the building in which a polling place is located, the person electioneers for or against any candidate, measure or political party. An offense under the section is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.

Harvey said voters are permitted to take push cards and other information into the polls as long as they do not electioneer or leave any material behind.

According to Greene, who is a special education teacher in Aldine ISD, she went to the South County Community Building Friday after work to cast her vote. She said it has been some years since she voted, noting it was time to stop complaining about things and take action at the ballot box.

On her way into the building, she passed by Bunch in the parking lot handing out his push cards. Greene, who has never met Bunch, stopped to visit with him and ask him several questions. Following their conversation, and with Bunch's push card and several other pieces of information she was handed in the parking lot, Greene got in line to vote.

"I was standing there … and I had the papers in my hand and I was trying to turn my cell phone off," said Greene, adding that a worker was rushing her to turn the phone off. "When he saw the Gordy paper, he touched it with his hand and pulled it out and said, 'Oh you need to throw that in the trash.'

"I am an educated person, so my first question was, 'Why would I do that?'"

However, feeling pressure, Greene tossed the Bunch push card in the trash, only to notice there were numerous Bunch push cards in the trash can. After voting, Greene went back to the parking lot and told Bunch what happened.

While Bunch first thought it was just volunteers outside telling people how to vote, he soon learned Greene was talking about the paid poll workers. At that point, the two went back into the building.

"I turned my shirt inside out and walked in with her," said Bunch, adding that Greene identified the man who she said confronted her. "She reached down in the trash can and said, 'Why did you tell me to throw this man's paperwork away and why did you tell me not to vote for this man?'

"He didn't deny it."

The two asked to speak with another poll worker who said she would address the situation and then asked Bunch to leave, saying he was not allowed in the building since he was not voting. However, the worker did not document Greene's name or phone number.

Bunch, who left when asked, is concerned that the only items in the trash can were his push cards, The Woodlands Township candidate Brian Boniface's push cards and the Texas Patriots PAC voter guides.

"There wasn't a single piece of literature in there for any other candidate," Bunch said. "That just floors me. When 100 percent of (the items) in the trash can are aligned with me and someone would audibly tell someone not to vote for somebody, that is criminal in my opinion."

Election Day voting is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

See Election Day voting locations and a sample ballot on Page 7A of Sunday's edition of The Courier.