Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has joined forces with attorneys general from fifteen other states in a bold effort to prompt action from the Biden-Harris administration concerning voter registration verification. In a letter addressed to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Paxton, demanded that the federal agency meet its legal obligations by collaborating with states to authenticate the citizenship status of registered voters.
According to the Texas Attorney General press release from Wednesday, the initial request from Paxton's office dates back to Monday last week when a formal letter was sent to the federal government along with a list of approximately 450,000 individuals registered to vote in Texas without state-issued identification, a move that flagged the potential for noncitizen participation in elections and cast a shadow on the procedures that are meant to protect the sanctity of American democracy. Other states have issued similar demands for data that would be pivotal in verifying the citizenship of those on voter rolls, yet, despite the gravity of the situation, the federal response has been characterized by delays and insufficient engagement.
The letter to Secretary Mayorkas expresses frustration with the DHS's reluctance to support state efforts in election integrity. It states, "Despite your federal obligation, your office has provided delayed and inadequate responses to requests by several of the undersigned States for assistance in verifying voter registration information. We are deeply troubled by DHS’s refusal to grant access to its Person Centric Query Service (PCQS) database on its unsubstantiated claim that the information is not ‘appropriate’ to verify voter registrants. DHS’s statutory mandate to provide information to the States does not depend on DHS’s view on how useful that information may be," in the Texas Attorney General release.
Attorney General Paxton expressed that the Biden-Harris Administration has failed to uphold its legal obligations. He and other officials believe Secretary Mayorkas should provide the requested information to states without delay, emphasizing that the DHS must fulfill its duties, especially with election integrity at stake.
The Biden-Harris administration has not yet publicly responded to the multistate letter, but noncitizen voting remains a contentious issue, with states like Texas advocating for strict voter verification methods. As the situation evolves, it will likely spark renewed discussions about voter access, the relationship between state and federal responsibilities, and the essential elements of a fair electoral system.
