A Tarrant County woman appointed to help count early votes for the Nov. 3 election is married to a man running for reelection to White Settlement City Council — a relationship state election rules say should disqualify her from serving on that very board. Jennifer James's name appears on the list of Republican Party members of the county's Early Voting Ballot Board, even as her husband, Aaron James, campaigns for a second term representing Place 1 against two challengers.
What State Rules Say About Conflicts
According to the Texas Secretary of State's Early Voting Ballot Board Handbook, a board member is ineligible if they are related to an opposed candidate within the second degree of blood or marriage. The handbook, revised in July 2026, also bars board service by anyone who is themselves an opposed candidate, who is employed by one, or who serves as a candidate's campaign treasurer or manager. Aaron James is not running unopposed — he faces two challengers, David Burke and Don Wagnon, for the Place 1 seat, according to the Fort Worth Report.
As first reported by the Star-Telegram, Jennifer James's name appears on page 6 of the list of Republican Party members of the board, though it remains unclear whether she is still an active member. The ballot board's primary job is counting ballots that were not scanned, including mail-in and provisional ballots — a responsibility the Texas Secretary of State requires every county to assign to such a board for every election.
Thursday Meeting Set to Appoint Board Members
The Tarrant County Election Board, which includes the Republican and Democratic party chairs, the county judge and the elections administrator, was scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. today to appoint ballot board members for the Nov. 3 election, the same report notes. It is not confirmed whether Jennifer James will be removed or replaced from the board at the meeting. Neither Jennifer nor Aaron James returned phone calls from the station's reporters seeking comment, per the same account.
A Theft Citation Adds to the Scrutiny
Jennifer James was also cited for theft after White Settlement Mayor Faron Young — who is running unopposed for reelection, according to the Fort Worth Report — accused her of taking one of his campaign signs. The station's report states that Young checked on his signs after a rainstorm on Oct. 1 and discovered one missing, leading to the citation against James.
The eligibility question surfaces as Tarrant County voters prepare to decide a mix of midterm and nonpartisan local races on Nov. 3, including the contested White Settlement council seat Aaron James currently holds. The board tasked with counting ballots that were not scanned in that same election cycle is the one where his wife's membership has come into question.
