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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Non-suit filed in recount litigation over county Tax Assessor election

A notice of non-suit has been filed in a lawsuit seeking to overturn last November’s Election Day results for the position of Jefferson County Tax Assessor/Collector.

As previously reported, Thomas Sigee, who lost to incumbent Shane Howard by 16 votes, filed the suit Dec. 11, 2012, in Jefferson County District Court, seeking to have a Beaumont judge declare him the winner, or at the very least wipe the election results and order a new election. 

Three months later, Sigee filed the notice of non-suit on March 21, court records show.

According to the lawsuit, Howard, a Republican, received 43, 349 votes to Democrat Sigee’s 43,333.

The Jefferson County Ballot Board had approved 61 provisional ballots and 10 military ballots out of 596 provisional ballots.

“There remain some 520 provisional ballots that were not counted,” the suit states. “Provisional votes were rejected because the affidavits were not completely filled out but the information that was left off was not mandatory but directory.”

Sigee had asked the court to declare the rightful winner, and if not that the election results be voided in place of a new election.

Austin attorney Randall Wood of Ray & Wood represented him.

Judge Gary Sanderson, 6oth District Court, was assigned to the case.

Case No. B193-698

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