In a move that has caught the ire of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Bexar County Commissioners Court has pushed through with a plan to mail voter-registration applications to residents. As reported by KENS5, the county's decision was made despite receiving a letter from Paxton threatening legal action against the proposal he deems could lead to voter fraud.
The approved measure, known as Resolution 66, will involve a contract with the company Civic Government Solutions, LLC to print and mail State Voter Registration Forms with postage-paid return envelopes. Addressing the concerns, Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and commissioners Rebeca Clay-Flores and Justin Rodriguez voted in favor of the initiative. The single vote against was cast by Commissioner Grant Moody, while Commissioner Tommy Calvert chose to abstain. According to the San Antonio Current, eligibility for voters in Texas includes being a U.S. citizen, residing in the county where they're registering, and being at least 18 years of age by Election Day.
Despite Paxton's allegations and concerns from local Republican officials, Commissioner Justin Rodriguez underscored the apolitical nature of the plan. "This is not a partisan issue from my perspective," Rodriguez said, "This is about democracy with a lower-case 'd' and making sure people have access." The initiative aims to distribute around 210,000 applications with hopes of securing 75,000 new registrations, potentially increasing county voter turnout by 3-4%, as detailed by the San Antonio Current. Contrary to the allegations of partisan motivations by opponents, CGS CEO Jeremy Smith asserted during the meeting that his comments on a political podcast were made in his capacity as a private citizen and that the firm's goal is to include as many people as possible in civic engagement.
While CGS has reached out to all 254 Texas counties to offer its services, the Bexar contract is under scrutiny, particularly over its no-bid status and the potential for a lawsuit. Opponents of the resolution raised alarm, suggesting that CGS's CEO harbored partisan intentions, citing Smith's podcast remarks about increasing Democratic voter registration, as noted by the San Antonio Current. However, Smith reaffirmed his company's nonpartisan stance, emphasizing broader civic participation and engagement. Amid the debate, potential legal challenges loom, with Paxton referencing case law purportedly prohibiting the mailing of voting applications, a claim that the Bexar County District Attorney’s office has described as misleading.
As the court proceeding heated, Commissioner Rebecca Clay-Flores denounced the "false rhetoric" surrounding the measure, and Judge Sakai was compelled to restore order amongst the audience at one point, as per the San Antonio Current. The approval of the voter registration mail-out plan signals a contentious ride ahead, as Bexar County braces for both an uptick in civic participation and the threat of legal reprisal from the state's top legal official.
