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Texas AG Issues New Election Lawsuit

On Wednesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took legal action against Bexar County, accusing the county’s leadership of planning to distribute voter registration forms unlawfully to residents who did not request them. Paxton contends that this approach could inadvertently include ineligible voters, such as noncitizens, potentially heightening the risk of election fraud.

“This initiative is not only illegal but also poses a significant threat to election integrity,” Paxton asserted. “It is against the law for ineligible individuals to register to vote.”

Bexar County, which encompasses San Antonio, is known as a stronghold for Democratic voters. Despite former President Donald Trump securing a win in Texas by nearly six points, President Joe Biden achieved a substantial victory in Bexar County, outpacing Trump by 18 points.

In his lawsuit against the Bexar County Commissioners Court, Paxton highlighted that the court had authorized spending substantial taxpayer funds to Civic Government Solutions (CGS) for distributing the voter registration forms. The county’s plan involved sending out 210,000 applications with an aim to register 75,000 new voters.

Paxton expressed concern over CGS’s leadership, noting that Jeremy Smith, the CEO of CGS, had previously shown interest in advocating for “progressive candidates” on a podcast. Smith also heads Civitech, a data firm with a progressive agenda. Despite CGS’s assurance of a nonpartisan approach, the Commissioners Court approved the plan with a 3-1 vote.

Paxton’s lawsuit argues that this mass mailing of voter registration forms violates Texas’s election laws, which prohibit counties from sending unsolicited registration applications. He cited a precedent from a similar case he won against Harris County ahead of the 2020 elections.

Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, Paxton pointed out that federal law bans noncitizens from voting. He referenced recent statistics indicating that since 2021, Texas has purged 6,500 noncitizens from its voter rolls, with nearly 2,000 of these individuals having cast votes, according to Governor Greg Abbott.

Paxton’s legal action followed a warning to the Commissioners Court just two days prior, indicating that he would pursue this lawsuit if the court proceeded with the controversial voter registration initiative.