In a recent ruling, a judge thwarts the efforts of the Texas Attorney General to inhibit a county from sending voter registration forms to individuals yet to register.
On Monday, Judge Antonia Arteaga declared the temporary restraining order and temporary injunction proposed by Attorney General Ken Paxton as irrelevant, as Bexar County had already dispatched the application forms.
On September 3, the county commissioners agreed upon a plan to distribute around 210,000 application forms through a partnership with an external vendor. Paxton, a Republican, voiced concerns about potential legal issues if Bexar County proceeded with its collaboration with Civic Government Solutions and promptly initiated a lawsuit the subsequent day.
Paxton argued in his lawsuit that the county's uninvited, widespread mailing of voter registration applications was illegal. Nevertheless, the county officials felt assured of their legal basis and carried on with their plan. The applications were delivered by the end of the previous week, as confirmed by the county officials.
"From the beginning, we believed the commissioners had the right to execute their actions, and we are elated with the judge's decision today," commented Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales following the hearing, as reported by CNN affiliate KABB.
CNN reached out to Paxton's office for their perspective on the judge's ruling.
Paxton has also taken legal action against Travis County, home to Austin, being part of a broader initiative by Texas Republican leaders against predominantly Democratic cities that aim to simplify and increase voting accessibility.
Paxton's office inaugurated an election integrity unit in 2018 to investigate allegations of voter fraud, however, it has resulted in few convictions.
The election integrity unit established by Paxton's office in 2018 has primarily resulted in few convictions for voter fraud. Despite Paxton's lawsuit against Bexar County, the district attorney expressed satisfaction with the judge's ruling, stating that they believed in their legal right to proceed with the distribution of voter registration forms.
