Election Integrity Or Intimidation? Abbott’s 1.1 Million Voter Purge Raises Alarms

In a move that has stirred concerns among voting rights advocates and Democratic officials, Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently announced the removal of over 1.1 million voters from the state’s rolls.

The announcement follows the governor’s signing of an election integrity law in September 2021, which Texas Democrats have warned could disenfranchise many eligible voters, as reported by The New York Times.

While the Governor highlighted that the purge was part of routine voter roll maintenance, the timing of the announcement, coming just days after the homes of several Democratic activists and a Latina candidate for the State House were raided by officers acting on behalf of the Texas attorney general, has raised alarms among Democrats.

Mike Doyle, chair of the Harris County Democratic Party, criticized the announcement, suggesting it was meant to dissuade voter participation. “This is supposed to be a routine accuracy check,” Doyle said, “but the way it’s being touted as a victory raises red flags about the intent.”

The raids and subsequent voter roll purges have led to fears of a coordinated effort by Texas Republican leaders to suppress voter registration efforts, particularly in urban areas and among Hispanic populations.

Gabriel Rosales, who leads the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in Texas, expressed concern that the actions of state officials are creating a false narrative around voter fraud, further intimidating communities that are already vulnerable.

Governor Abbott’s office cited that the majority of the purged voters were removed due to death or relocation, figures consistent with past years. However, his announcement also mentioned that around 1,900 non-citizens had been identified with voting histories, and their records were sent to the attorney general’s office for investigation. 

The recent actions by the state have left many in Texas’s Hispanic community feeling targeted and fearful. Mary Ann Obregon, the 80-year-old mayor of Dilley whose home was raided, shared her apprehension, saying that she now hesitates to continue helping residents register to vote. “I felt afraid,” she told the NYTimes of the raid.

As Texas gears up for the November elections, the impact of these voter roll purges remains to be seen.