The fear of non-citizens voting in Texas elections has grown as foreign nationals continue to cross our borders in large numbers. Are there tables set up outside our government offices registering these ineligible voters?
In 2021 President Biden issued his Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting. This order included a directive to federal agencies to begin, “soliciting and facilitating approved, nonpartisan third-party organizations and State officials to provide voter registration services on agency premises.” Coupled with the fact that the federal government is refusing to share databases that verify citizenship, this order created the potential for third-party bad actors to set up in these facilities and potentially register foreign nationals to vote in Texas elections.
In fact, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released this statement about his office’s investigation into this practice outside Department of Public Safety (DPS) offices. While the full findings of this investigation have not yet been released, the statement confirms that “various nonprofit organizations have been located outside Texas Department of Public Safety Driver License offices, operating booths offering to assist in voter registration for persons doing business at the driver’s license offices.”
It continues to state that this practice is unnecessary because all citizens are given the opportunity to register to vote while conducting their business inside the building. That fact brings the motives and intentions of these third-party organizations into question.
The Texas Secretary of State(SOS) released a statement saying that Texas leads the way against non-citizen voting and clearly the SOS and General Paxton are working to ensure that is true. Yet we as citizens also need to be vigilant and report instances of illegal activity.
However, we must use caution and not misrepresent the facts. If a part of what we report isn’t true, the entirety of what we report can be thrown out. Recent events in Parker County serve as a reminder that, even in the absence of concrete evidence, the need for transparency and truth in our electoral process is paramount.
Over the weekend, a claim circulated on social media that immigrants were being registered to vote at a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office in Weatherford, Texas. The post, shared by Fox News personality Maria Bartiromo, suggested that immigrants were being registered to vote outside the DMV. The claim quickly gained traction, fueling concerns about potential voter fraud in Parker County and beyond.
Upon investigation, however, Parker County GOP Chairman Brady Gray debunked these claims. After multiple conversations with county election officials and the DPS, Gray confirmed that no irregularities had occurred. Gray also verified that no tents or tables were present on DPS grounds registering voters.
While the claims were unfounded in this instance, they underscore a critical point: the importance of remaining vigilant. Texans are right to be cautious and demand that their elections be conducted fairly and transparently. However, it is equally important that these concerns are based on verified facts rather than unsubstantiated rumors.
Every citizen has a role to play in safeguarding the integrity of our elections. This includes staying informed, verifying claims before spreading them, and reporting any suspicious activities to the proper authorities.
If you suspect any illegal voter registration efforts in your area, do not hesitate to report them to the appropriate authorities. Together, we can protect the integrity of our elections and uphold the principles of transparency, accuracy, and accountability that we hold dear.