(Texas Scorecard) – Attorney General Ken Paxton advised local governments against sending—or hiring third-party entities to send—unsolicited voter registration applications before the November election.
A press release from his office stated that the advisory is in response to the mass mailouts of unsolicited voter registration forms, including partially prefilled ones, benefitting partisan organizations at taxpayers’ expense.
The release explains that local governments entering into contracts with third-party vendors to mail unsolicited voter registration forms exceeds their authority.
Late last Monday, Paxton threatened Bexar and Harris Counties with a lawsuit if they funded a mass mail unsolicited voter registration program.
Harris County tabled its plans the following day, but Bexar County approved funding for a third-party entity hiding its Democrat Party ties.
Paxton sued Bexar the next day and then sued Travis County on Friday for the same program.
Meanwhile, Powered By People, a Democrat political action committee, found a loophole in the Secretary of State’s website allowing it to send unlimited, unsolicited voter registration forms to targeted voters while funded by Texas taxpayers.
“The delivery of an unrequested voter registration application does not mean that the recipient is eligible to vote,” Paxton’s office warned. Felons and noncitizens may not register to vote under Texas law.
“There is no issue more important to our political system than election security,” said Paxton. “Receiving a voter registration application does not necessarily mean you are eligible to vote. If you are ineligible and attempt to register anyway, you are committing a crime.”
Texans may report suspected election law violations to [email protected].