State’s chief election officer works to head off election misinformation

Capital Highlights

AUSTIN — Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs announced ahead of the 2020 primary and general elections that her office will join fellow members of the National Association of Secretaries of State in #TrustedInfo2020, a social media-based education effort to prevent misinformation.

Hughs encouraged Texans to look to their state and local elections officials as the trusted sources of election information. “The upcoming 2020 elections will be historic and unlike any before,” said Hughs. “It is imperative that voters in the Lone Star State are able to count on trusted sources of election information as they prepare to make their voices heard in next year’s elections. I encourage Texans to visit VoteTexas.gov and to follow our verified accounts, as well as those of their local elections officials, to receive the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding our elections,” Hughs added.

Texas — a Super Tuesday state — will conduct its party primaries Tuesday, March 3. The other states holding elections on that date are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.

Trump visits Apple site

While the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence heard testimony at the U.S. Capitol in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald J. Trump Nov. 20, the nation’s chief executive flew to Austin.

According to a White House news release, Trump met with Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook and held a brief news conference at Apple’s Flex compound. Trump praised Cook and the success of Apple and responded to reporters’ questions relating to the impeachment hearings and to trade policy with China. Trump’s remarks are posted at white-house.gov .

Jobless rate stays low

Texas Workforce Commission Nov. 15 reported the Lone Star State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 3.4 percent for the month of October.

This marks the fifth consecutive month of record low unemployment and 3.4 percent is the lowest unemployment rate since series tracking began in 1976.

Ed Sterling the Director of Member Services for the Texas Press Association.