Texas’ congressional delegation of Democrats is calling for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate potential voting rights violations by Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office.
The lawmakers announced their push for an investigation Wednesday, Sept. 4, only a day after the League of United Latin American Citizens held a news conference in the shadow of the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse to urge a similar probe.
Paxton’s critics cite early morning raids on elderly election volunteers, the confiscation of cellphones and computers, and general harassment and intimidation by the attorney general’s office.
“We are joining the voices of many alarmed Texans who want the Department of Justice to investigate the actions of Attorney General Ken Paxton,” said U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. “We know very well that he has used his office, historically, as a way of pursuing political efforts. From my perspective, he has a history of misusing his power.”
Paxton’s latest moves, aimed at Texas Latino advocates and activists working to get out the vote, are reminiscent of the attacks made against Black voters in the Jim Crow south.
“It should be very obvious to all of us that this targeting of the Latino community, in one case in a highly contested district in the upcoming election, is part of his political maneuverings to suppress the vote in Texas,” Escobar said.
Escobar and the other Texas Democrats said a letter bearing their signatures would be delivered to the DOJ later this week.
Escobar joined by other Texas Democrats
Escobar was hardly alone in her push for accountability over Paxton’s actions — joining her Wednesday were U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, Sylvia Gracia, D-Houston, and Al Green, D-Houston, all of whom agreed to sign their names to the DOJ letter.
Doggett criticized Texas for already being the number one state for voter registration struggles and said Paxton’s “politically-motivated attempt to intimidate Latino voters” will only make it worse.
“It’s like Donald Trump’s ‘Big Lie,”’Doggett said, referencing the former president’s attempt to undermine the credibility to the 2020 presidential election. “They’re moving now with ‘The Big Search.'”
“The Department of Justice must investigate this abuse of power to silence minority communities from voting freely and fairly.”
For Castro, Paxton’s moves are little more than another rung in a long and familiar ladder. He said the state has continually used executive orders, new laws, legal threats and other barriers as a way to keep the status quo and stymie new voters.
“All of these things are meant to keep new people from becoming voters in Texas,” he said. “They’re trying to win elections and hang onto power by scaring people, by intimidating people, and doing everything they can to suppress the vote.”
Paxton, Abbott defend actions
While Democratic lawmakers and civil rights advocates are gearing up for a showdown, Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott have been defending the state’s actions.
In a post on X, Paxton shared a recent interview with Newsmax in which he was asked whether illegal migrants would be voting in the Nov. 5 election: “Absolutely,” he replied. “I think it’s happening and I think that was the plan all along.”
Abott struck a similar chord, celebrating two bills that he says have secured Texas elections.
“Last year, I signed House Bill 1243 into law to increase the penalty for illegal voting — including voting by noncitizens — to a second-degree felony,” Abbott wrote in a Sept. 4 post. Texas continues to crack down on illegal voting to ensure that (only) U.S. citizens vote in our elections.”
“In 2021, I signed Senate Bill 1 into law to ensure trust (and) confidence in our elections,” he wrote on Sept. 3. Secure elections are critical to the foundation of our democracy. This law makes it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Texas. Texas continues to take action to uphold election integrity.
That law bans overnight early voting hours and drive-thru voting. It also tightens voting-by-mail rules, allows partisan poll watchers more autonomy inside polling places by granting them free movement. It also set new rules and criminal penalties — for voter assistance.
Local election officials face a state jail felony for proactively distribute applications for mail-in ballots — even to those voters who automatically qualify to vote by mail.
Over 35,800 voters removed from El Paso rolls
Along with the ongoing scare tactics being decried by lawmakers and advocates alike, the state has purged more than 1.1 million voters from its rolls in recent years. Following is a breakdown of the more than 35,800 voters purged from El Paso rolls:
Noncitizens: 0Voters with felony convictions: 692Deceased voters: 11,744Voters on suspended list: 20,529Voters who confirmed moving away: 1,460Voters who failed to respond to notice of examination: 1,314Voters who canceled registration: 115
In a statement, the El Paso County Elections Department urged voters to check their registration status online or by calling 915-546-2154.
“The El Paso County Elections Department is committed to making sure our voter rolls are accurate and up to date and that every eligible Texan’s voice is heard,” the statement read. “Voter lists are carefully maintained daily by experienced public servants in accordance with Texas law. In addition to regular list maintenance, the election code tasks the county with processing new voter registrations which the state then verifies.”
“We are committed to making sure our elections are accurate, fair, and secure.”
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
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Publish date : 2024-09-05 01:31:00
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