Commentary: In a huge victory for voting rights, Texas voters will now permanently be able to register to vote online when they update their driver’s license information, following a successful legal challenge by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Texas Democratic Party.
The DCCC, DSCC, and Texas Democratic Party intervened in a lawsuit against the state of Texas after they refused to comply with the National Voter Registration Act, often referred to as the “motor voter” law. In August, the lawsuit forced a temporary fix that allowed Texas voters to register to vote online when they updated their driver’s license, which has since led to more than one million Texans using this method to register to vote or update their registration — after this week’s victory, those protections are now permanent.
“This legal victory deals a blow to voter suppression at a pivotal moment for democracy in America,” said DCCC Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney. “The stakes for access to the ballot box in Texas have never been higher, and this successful lawsuit to safeguard voting rights for millions of Texans comes at a crucial time. The protections guaranteed by this legal challenge will make a world of difference for young voters, people of color, and Texans across the state. Our gratitude to every voting rights activist who fought to protect democracy in Texas and made this win possible.”
“The ruling is a victory for democracy,” said DSCC Chairman Gary Peters. “The DSCC is proud to be part of this effort and will continue fighting back against Republicans’ efforts to restrict voting rights in order to protect Americans’ right to participate in our democracy.”
“In spite of Republicans' aggressive efforts to restrict Texans’ right to vote, Democrats have been successful in fighting to ensure that all Texans have an equal voice and opportunity to participate in our democracy,” said Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa. “Texas Republicans have fought us and common sense every step of the way, preventing modernization of Texas’s elections. The fact that it took a lawsuit to even begin bringing our state’s elections into the 21st century is a disgrace. But Democrats are fighting with every tool to make voting convenient and accessible to all Texans. Texas Democrats are leading the national movement for voter freedom. We will not rest as long as Republicans continue to threaten our participation in government and reverse the decades of progress we have made to make voting more accessible, equal and just for all Americans.”
The lawsuit to force compliance with the “motor voter” law in Texas was originally brought to court by the Texas Civil Rights Project on behalf of three Texas voters, as well as plaintiffs MOVE Texas and League of Women Voters Texas.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee made a combined investment of $10 million in voting rights litigation in the 2020 election cycle, including in Texas.
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