With just over two months until the November election, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that more than 1 million people have been removed from the state's voter rolls.
This effort, part of an ongoing initiative to eliminate ineligible voters, has led to the removal of 1.1 million individuals since the signing of Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) in September 2021. The removals include individuals who have moved out of state, passed away, or are not U.S. citizens.
Among those removed, more than 6,500 were noncitizens, over 6,000 had felony convictions, and over 457,000 were deceased. Additionally, 463,000 voters were on the suspense list, 134,000 had moved and confirmed their new addresses, 65,000 failed to respond to an examination notice, and over 19,000 requested to cancel their registrations.
Governor Abbott emphasized that these actions are part of a legal obligation to maintain accurate voter rolls and prevent illegal voting, which he stated would not be tolerated in Texas.
Abbott also noted that approximately 1,930 noncitizens who were removed from the rolls had a voter history and are being referred to the Attorney General's Office for potential legal action. In 2023, Abbott signed HB 1243, increasing the penalty for illegal voting to a second-degree felony.
The announcement sparked reactions on social media, particularly among progressive and liberal voters. Many urged Texans to check their voter registration status to ensure they remain eligible to vote.
Critics argue that laws like SB 1 restrict voting rights and disproportionately impact marginalized communities. In August 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas found that parts of SB 1 violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by disenfranchising eligible voters due to minor paperwork errors on mail ballots.
Similar efforts to purge voter rolls are occurring in other Republican-controlled states ahead of the November election. Ohio and Virginia, for example, have removed thousands of voters from their rolls, citing inactive and duplicate registrations.
Ohio's Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, defended the removals, stating they were necessary to maintain accurate voter rolls, following federal law. In Virginia, a computer software error led to the removal of 3,400 voters from the rolls in late 2023.
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