Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in an attempt to halt Bexar County in Texas from mailing voter registration forms to a large number of unregistered voters. The county had approved a contract with a vendor to send forms to approximately 210,000 people with the goal of registering about 75,000 voters. Paxton, a Republican, argued that the mass mailing of unsolicited voter registration forms arranged by county officials is illegal. He criticized Bexar County for choosing to violate the law despite warnings against the program.
This lawsuit is a part of a larger effort by Republican leaders in Texas to push back against largely Democratic cities that are trying to make voting more accessible. Paxton’s office also established an election integrity unit in 2018 to investigate allegations of voter fraud, but with few convictions resulting from their investigations. The vendor, Civic Government Solutions, run by progressive activist Jeremy Smith, sought to reassure county leaders that the company is nonpartisan and focused on registering as many voters as possible.
During a meeting, concerns were raised about Smith’s partisan ties and Paxton’s legal threats. Ultimately, the contract was approved by the county judge, who is a Democrat, and two Democratic commissioners. A third Democratic commissioner abstained, and the lone Republican commissioner voted against it. Residents voiced opposition to the initiative, alleging that the commissioners were trying to register more Democrats and non-citizens. Commissioner Justin Rodriguez defended the effort as a way to increase access to the voting process for new residents in the county.
The county’s decision to move forward with the mailing of voter registration forms despite legal threats and opposition from residents demonstrates a commitment to making the voting process more accessible to all residents. This initiative is seen as a move towards improving democracy by providing easier access for people to register to vote. The lawsuit filed by Paxton reflects a larger political divide in Texas between Republican leaders seeking to restrict voter access and Democratic leaders working to expand it.
Paxton’s legal action against Bexar County highlights the ongoing battle in Texas over voter registration efforts and the pushback from Republican leaders against programs aimed at increasing access to voting. The involvement of a progressive vendor in the registration effort has raised concerns about partisanship, but county officials maintain that the goal is to make the registration process easier for new residents. As the lawsuit unfolds, the impact on voter registration efforts in Bexar County and the broader implications for voting access in Texas remain to be seen.
