KAUFMAN COUNTY — The Republican primary for County Court at Law No. 2 is shaping up to be one of the closest races in recent county history. Unofficial results reveal that Bobby Rich is leading Rob Farquharson by a mere three votes after 12,985 ballots were counted on Tuesday night.
While the election dashboard indicates that 100 percent of precincts have reported, the electoral process is not yet complete. Provisional ballots are still under review by election officials, and state law permits either candidate to request a recount should the margin remain exceedingly narrow.
Provisional Ballots Still Under Review
According to Texas election law, provisional ballots are cast when there are questions regarding a voter's eligibility at the polling place. Common reasons for this include voters not appearing on the precinct's registration list, lacking the necessary identification, or having their eligibility not immediately confirmed.
Importantly, these provisional ballots are not counted on election night. Instead, they are set aside for later review by the county ballot board, which is responsible for verifying the voter's eligibility and determining whether the ballot should be included in the official totals. This review process typically occurs in the days following the election.
If a voter's eligibility is confirmed, their provisional ballot will be counted and added to the final results. Given the three-vote margin in this race, even a small number of validated provisional ballots could significantly impact the outcome.
Recount Still Possible
Texas law also allows candidates to request a recount in cases where the margin is exceptionally small. A recount request must be submitted by a candidate or their campaign within a designated timeframe following the election canvass.
As of now, no formal recount has been requested in the County Court at Law No. 2 race. Should a recount be requested, election officials would re-examine the ballots to verify the vote totals reported on election night.
Candidates Respond
Rich, who currently leads the race, expressed gratitude to voters and election workers after the close results.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support that I’ve received across Kaufman County,” Rich stated. “It’s clear that every vote counted in this election.”
He went on to commend the election workers for their efforts, saying, “The hardworking election workers have done a great job and should be applauded for their work in getting an accurate count of the votes last night. We’re blessed to have a great community in this county, and I’m excited to continue serving our community as Judge for County Court at Law #2.”
Farquharson, on the other hand, indicated that his campaign is awaiting the review of the remaining ballots before making any conclusions.
“We’re patiently waiting to see every legal vote counted,” Farquharson remarked. “It is impossible to know how this is going to shake out right now.”
A Race Still in Motion
With the margin currently at three votes out of nearly 13,000 ballots, the County Court at Law No. 2 primary remains effectively unresolved until the provisional ballot review is complete and the official canvass is conducted.
In the meantime, election officials are diligently following the standard post-election procedures that accompany every Texas primary — ensuring that every eligible ballot is meticulously reviewed before the final numbers are certified.
