Texas Seeks Biden-Harris Administration's Assistance to Verify Citizenship of Registered Voters

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has called upon the Biden-Harris administration to provide data that will help verify the citizenship status of almost 454,289 registered voters in Texas.

Concerns Over Unlawful Voter Registration

Paxton, in a letter addressed to USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou, expressed his worries that these individuals might have registered to vote unlawfully without their citizenship status being confirmed. He sought Jaddou's help in identifying non-citizens on the voter rolls to ensure that only eligible voters participate in the 2024 presidential election, which is predicted to be a close contest. "The Biden-Harris Administration is legally obligated to assist States in doing so, and it is imperative that we use every tool available to uphold the integrity of our elections," Paxton stated.

Investigation into Voter Registration

Paxton's request comes after an investigation conducted by his office and Secretary of State Jane Nelson. The investigation found individuals who registered to vote without providing a state driver’s license or any other form of state-issued identification. According to Paxton, this made it extremely difficult for state officials to verify these individuals' citizenship. The timeline of when these individuals registered to vote remains unclear. "I am not asking for verification of the citizenship of anyone whose voter registration records contains a driver’s license or state-issued identification number," Paxton further clarified.

Non-Citizens Found Registered to Vote

Paxton revealed that over 1,300 non-citizens were discovered to be registered to vote during an audit of four randomly chosen counties. He expressed his concern saying, "That is 1,300 too many when so many of our federal, state, and local election are decided by a handful of votes." Paxton mentioned that Texas has used all possible methods to confirm the citizenship status of the voters in question and is now seeking federal assistance.

Unlikely Cooperation from Biden-Harris Administration

However, it seems unlikely that the Biden-Harris administration will respond or cooperate with Texas on this matter. On September 27, the DOJ filed a lawsuit against Alabama after Wes Allen, the Republican secretary of state, deactivated the voter registrations of 3,251 individuals due to lack of citizenship verification. The DOJ argued that Alabama’s actions violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Allen defended his decision in an interview with Headline USA, stating, "I was elected Secretary of State by the people of Alabama, and it is my Constitutional duty to ensure that only American citizens vote in our elections.”

Bottom Line

The issue of voter registration and verification of citizenship is a contentious one, with both sides presenting strong arguments. It remains to be seen how the Biden-Harris administration will respond to Texas' request for assistance in verifying the citizenship of nearly half a million registered voters. What are your thoughts on this matter? Do you think the federal government should assist states in verifying voter citizenship? Share this article with your friends and let us know your opinions. Remember, you can sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.