Tarris Woods v. Rusty Legg
Tarris Woods, an incumbent Galveston City Councilmember, challenged the outcome of a runoff election he lost to Rusty Legg. Woods alleged that election officials prevented eligible voters from voting, failed to count legal votes, or engaged in fraud or mistake. The trial court denied the contest, confirming Legg as the winner. On appeal, Woods argued that he presented clear and convincing evidence that some District 1 residents were mistakenly assigned to incorrect districts and that eligible voters were prevented from casting votes in his favor. The appellate court, with Justice Jane Bland presiding, affirmed the trial court's decision, concluding that there was sufficient evidence to support the trial court's findings and that Woods failed to meet the clear and convincing evidence standard to prove that election irregularities materially affected the outcome. The court detailed individual voter eligibility issues.