Fort Bend ISD issued a public apology Tuesday after security guards at James Bowie Middle School removed election signs and told poll workers and supporters to leave the polling site, even though they were not violating any polling-location rules. The district said the guards went too far. It barred the guards involved from polling-site assignments and said it would reevaluate its relationship with the security company.
According to Click2Houston, the security guards involved in the James Bowie Middle School incident are receiving corrective action from the district. Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Marc Smith and Board President Kristin Tassin issued a joint apology to the candidates and poll workers affected, saying, “Our sincerest apologies go out to the candidates and the poll workers.”
The district said it regretted what happened at James Bowie Middle School, a district-designated polling location, and acknowledged that the contracted guards' actions and overzealous behavior did not reflect the district's stance on election oversight. The station's report notes that Fort Bend ISD continues to investigate the full scope of the incident and plans to reevaluate its relationship with the security company to ensure it properly represents the district.
A Mother Greeting Voters Gets Told to Leave
Linda Morgan told the outlet she was outside the polling location greeting voters and holding a sign supporting her son, state Representative Matt Morgan, when a security guard told her to leave. Morgan said she was more than 100 feet from the polling location at the time — beyond the legal buffer required under state election rules. She described the guard's manner as firm but not aggressive, and said people should stand up for their First Amendment rights.
Fort Bend County Democratic Party Chairwoman Jennifer Cantu told the same outlet that members of her party experienced a similar confrontation with security at the site. Cantu said poll workers are permitted two signs per polling location, and recounted that when a poll worker asked a guard to hold the signs so nominees could retrieve them later, the guard instead threatened to destroy them, reportedly saying, “No, we're going to destroy them.” Cantu said people should speak up rather than stay quiet when this kind of thing happens.
What Texas Law Actually Allows Near the Polls
Texas election guidance lays out exactly how much space is protected around a polling place. Per the Texas Secretary of State, every early voting and election day polling place must be organized with 100-foot distance markers around building entrances, along with 20-foot markers around designated curbside-voting parking spaces. Inside those zones, it is prohibited to electioneer, including expressing preference for or against any candidate, measure, or political party, while voting is underway.
That 20-foot curbside buffer is relatively new. House Bill 521, effective September 1, 2025, amended Texas Election Code Section 61.003 specifically to prohibit loitering or electioneering within 20 feet of a designated curbside-voting parking space. The early voting clerk and presiding judge are the officials with authority to ensure the safety and efficiency of the polling place and its surrounding protected areas — and the state's guidance notes that violating the relevant provisions of the Election Code is a Class C misdemeanor.
District Says It Backs Campaigning Within the Law
Fort Bend ISD said it supports candidates' right to garner campaign support within the confines of the law, and emphasized that it partners with the Fort Bend County Elections Office on the polling-location election process. The district said it remains committed to working with the county to uphold the election process and support peaceful voting activities going forward.
The incident lands against a backdrop of expanded campus security across the district. Fort Bend ISD expanded contracted armed security to all 51 of its elementary schools starting January 4, 2024, following a new Texas requirement, according to the Houston Chronicle. Those elementary security officers were not new district hires but were instead supplied through outside contractors.
