Ken Paxton threatens to sue Bexar and Harris counties

HOUSTON – Attorney General Ken Paxton is warning Bexar and Harris counties that he will sue if they move forward with proposals to mail out voter registration forms en masse to residents according to the Houston Chronicle. Despite the threat, Bexar County commissioners voted on Tuesday to move forward with the effort, saying they disagreed with Paxton’s legal assessment. In letters addressed to county commissioners on Sunday, Paxton cautioned that the distribution of forms could include people who are ineligible to vote, which would confuse residents about whether they can legally vote in November. “At worst, it may induce the commission of a crime by encouraging individuals who are ineligible to vote to provide false information on the form,” the third-term Republican wrote. “Either way, it is illegal, and if you move forward with this proposal, I will use all available legal means to stop you.”

In 2020, the state sued Harris County over a similar effort, when officials there wanted to mail ballot applications to all of its registered voters. The Texas Supreme Court ruled in that case that the counties were only allowed by state law to mail applications specifically requested by voters. “Because the same can be said for mass mailings of voter registration applications, I am confident the courts will agree with me that your proposal exceeds your authority,” Paxton wrote in the letters. Texas is one of just seven states that do not offer online voter registration, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The one exception is that Texas was forced to begin offering limited online registration in 2020 after a judge ruled it must allow residents to sign up or update their registration when receiving a new driver’s license or updating that ID card.