Police Investigating Crockett City Council Elections in Precincts 3 and 4
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT — What began as a review of absentee ballot records from a 2024 Crockett City Council race has now expanded into an active law enforcement investigation involving local, state and federal authorities.
The Messenger first began examining the 2024 municipal election after receiving calls from residents who raised concerns about absentee ballots in the Precinct 3 race. A public records request to the Houston County Elections Administration led to a review of 55 ballot-by-mail application files, some containing multiple pages and at least one apparent duplicate.
That review found that approximately 45% of the applications listed a person assisting the voter. In each of those cases, the same individual, NaTrenia Hicks, was listed as the assistant, along with the same Crockett address. Many of the applications came from similar areas of the city, including neighborhoods along Darius Street, MLK Boulevard, West Oak Street and West Houston, with some addresses showing multiple voters listing the same assistant.
The applications also showed many voters were elderly, with ages ranging into their 70s, 80s and 90s. Some included notations suggesting hospital or care-related circumstances.
While not all applications listed an assistant, some of those reviewed appeared to share similar handwriting characteristics.
Election results from the 2024 race showed a strong concentration of absentee votes in Precinct 3. Of 56 absentee ballots cast, Hicks received 51, or approximately 91%. In contrast, another Crockett city race that year in Precinct 4 saw fewer absentee ballots overall and a more even distribution between candidates.
Those patterns prompted continued attention during the most recent city election held Saturday, May 2.
In the Precinct 3 race, Hicks again received a large share of absentee votes, with 41 of 51 ballots, or roughly 80%. By comparison, her opponent, James Henry, received 10 absentee votes. The race also included early in-person and Election Day voting, which were more broadly distributed.
In Precinct 4, a shift was observed compared to the previous election cycle. Challenger Roy “Rocky” Simon received a significantly larger share of absentee and early voting than incumbent Elbert Wayne Johnson. Simon received 23 absentee ballots to Johnson’s two, along with a majority of early in-person votes.
The presence of absentee voting advantages in both precincts, though benefiting different candidates, has drawn additional scrutiny from residents and officials alike.
Texas law allows voters to receive assistance when completing ballot-by-mail applications, provided the person assisting discloses their name and address and does not influence the voter’s decisions. The records reviewed by The Messenger do not indicate who ultimately marked or returned ballots, and they do not establish whether any laws were violated.
The Messenger previously reported that county officials had been contacted by individuals alleging knowledge of possible vote-buying schemes, though those claims remain unproven and sources have so far declined to go on record.
On Tuesday, Crockett Police Chief Clayton Smith confirmed that the matter is now under active investigation.
“The Crockett Police Department has been made aware of potential inconsistencies in both the 2024 and 2026 — May 2 elections for Crockett City Council to include Precinct 3 and 4,” Smith said. “I can confirm that there is now an active investigation into these allegations. The Crockett Police Department has been in contact with both state and federal partners to assist in these investigations. No additional information is available at this time.”
The Messenger will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
