Following Texas Governor Greg Abbott's announcement of over 6,500 noncitizens removed from state voter rolls, an investigation by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune, and Votebeat suggests this figure may be exaggerated. The discrepancy comes from combining two different numbers: 581 individuals identified as noncitizens by the secretary of state's office and those removed for not responding to inquiries about their citizenship status, according to The Texas Tribune report.
The inaccurate branding of at least nine U.S. citizens in three Texas counties as noncitizens or their unwarranted removal has fueled claims used by former President Donald Trump and his party to suspect the loyalty of Democratic elections, as reported by KSAT. Despite Marc Meredith, an election administration expert, suggesting that Abbott’s release "reduces trust in the Texas voter registration process in an unnecessary way," the practice of updating voter rolls is an ongoing, daily task that includes purging the rolls of individuals who have moved or passed away, complicating the process and sometimes leading to errors.
The Texas Senate State Affairs Committee, made up of nine Republicans and three Democrats, met to discuss measures to prevent noncitizen registration and voting, with the session live-streamed for public viewing. Previous claims of noncitizen voter registration have faced controversy and legal challenges, particularly since many individuals flagged in the past were actually naturalized citizens. This issue was addressed in a legal settlement that shaped the state's current protocols for handling potential noncitizen registrations.
In 2019, Texas officials, including Attorney General Ken Paxton, rashly claimed that nearly 100,000 noncitizens had registered to vote, with almost half allegedly casting ballots. These assertions were quickly debunked. The search for improperly registered noncitizen voters continues, as Paxton recently announced an investigation into allegations involving nonprofits registering noncitizens and conducted raids in South Texas related to voter fraud. He also reiterated discredited theories about the Biden administration's immigration policies on a conservative radio show.
As the election approaches, tensions over voter eligibility are rising, even though experts say these issues are rare. Attorney General Paxton has been vocal about ongoing efforts to find noncitizen voters, prompting Secretary of State Jane Nelson to request federal help in reviewing voter rolls. However, Nelson has cautioned that the records provided do not necessarily indicate the presence of noncitizen voters.
