Texas Judge Faces Indictment in Vote Harvesting Case

Clear Facts

• A Democratic judge in Texas, Rochelle Lozano Camacho, has been indicted on charges related to a “vote harvesting scheme” during her 2022 primary campaign.
• The indictment also includes five other individuals, including Camacho’s sister and the county’s election administrator.
• Vote harvesting is illegal in Texas and is considered a third-degree felony, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

In a significant development, a Democratic judge in Texas, Rochelle Lozano Camacho, along with five others, has been indicted for allegedly orchestrating a vote harvesting scheme. This announcement was made by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office, highlighting a serious breach of election laws.

The charges against Judge Camacho, an elected official in Frio County, include three counts of vote harvesting during her 2022 primary campaign. The indictment also involves several other individuals, notably her sister, who serves as the county’s trustee, the election administrator, two city council members from Pearsall, Texas, and another woman.

These charges are the result of a comprehensive investigation initiated in 2022. The probe began after Mary Moore, Camacho’s opponent in the Democratic primary runoff, filed a complaint. Moore accused Camacho of employing a Democratic operative to collect mail ballots, fill out applications, and transport voters to polling stations.

It is alleged that Camacho compensated this operative between $1,500 and $2,500 for their services. The scheme reportedly targeted elderly voters in a specific subdivision in Pearsall, Texas. According to reports, one of Camacho’s accomplices concealed ballots under her shirt and used multiple vehicles to evade detection by investigators.

Camacho’s campaign was centered on themes of “UNITY, MOVEMENT and PROGRESSION FOR FRIO COUNTY,” and she actively informed the public about the commencement of mail voting and early voting in 2022. She narrowly defeated Moore by 157 votes in the primary and subsequently won the runoff by a mere 72 votes out of 322 total ballots cast.

Vote harvesting, which involves the collection and delivery of completed absentee or mail-in ballots by a third party, is illegal in Texas. The law mandates that voters must fill out and seal their ballots themselves, with no third-party involvement in the delivery process.

Attorney General Ken Paxton has vowed to hold corrupt public officials accountable.

“Elected officials who think they can cheat to stay in power will be held accountable. No one is above the law,” he stated emphatically.

This is not the first time Paxton’s office has pursued such charges. In 2020, four individuals, including a county commissioner, were charged with vote harvesting.

While all suspects except Judge Camacho were arrested on May 2, she is expected to be processed at a later date. Vote harvesting in Texas is a third-degree felony, carrying severe penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Source