SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County and the Texas Attorney General’s Office will face off in court Monday at a hearing regarding a voter registration program.
Both sides are expected to present oral arguments addressing Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request for a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction aimed at stopping a mail voter registration form program.
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A judge will determine if a ruling will be issued immediately following the arguments or at a later date.
The Bexar County Commissioners Court on Sept. 3 approved a contract with Civic Government Solution to assist with a targeted voter registration outreach for residents who may have recently moved or changed addresses.
Hours after the contract approval, the AG’s Office filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent enforcement of the contract.
In a letter Paxton sent to commissioners, warning them not to take action, he said the deal was illegal because the county “can take no action without a grant of legal authority,” and Texas law does not explicitly allow counties to mail out unsolicited registration forms.
Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said he is ready to protect voters rights and resists any efforts to undermine the democratic process.
“This is a significant national issue related to protecting the right to vote in our community. We are prepared to defend the decision made by the Bexar County Commissioners Court to encourage citizens to exercise their constitutional right to elect their leaders. We will continue to defend democracy and resist Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to sow distrust in our democratic process,” Gonzales said.
The hearing is for 9 a.m. Monday at Bexar County Civil District Presiding Court.