Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33) Demands Answers on Election Security, Voter Suppression in Texas

Washington, D.C. – On the heels of National Voter Registration Day, Congressman Veasey today led a letter with the entire Texas Democratic Delegation in demanding information about the state of Texas' efforts to address any vulnerabilities in the state's election infrastructure and general administration in advance of the 2020 election cycle.

In the last election, thousands of Texas voters faced a multitude of barriers that hindered their participation in our democracy. Today's letter presses the Texas Secretary of State to make critical improvements to voter registration, voter access and election security to ensure that all eligible Texans can participate in the local and national elections occurring next year.

"This letter builds on the momentum of both my resolution in the House to designate this month as National Voting Rights Month and yesterday being National Voter Registration Day by ensuring that all Texans have an equal voice at the ballot box and in our democracy," said Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33). "As the founder of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, I am proud to lead this timely letter along with my Democratic Texans in Congress to ensure that our statewide elected officials are doing every action needed to strengthen our election security, address existing issues, and make sure that all Texans, especially minorities, have the needed resources to vote next year."

The full text of the letter can be found below:

September 24, 2019

The Honorable Ruth R. Hughs

Texas Secretary of State

State Capitol Building

Room 1E.8

Austin, Texas 78701

Dear Secretary Hughs:

We write to request information regarding the State of Texas' efforts to address any vulnerabilities in the state's election infrastructure in advance of the 2020 election cycle. With the 2020 primary election fast approaching, the time is now to ensure our state is taking all necessary actions to strengthen our election security defenses, guard against disinformation and improve election administration generally.

The 2016 and 2018 election cycles exposed many flaws in our electoral system. In the state of Texas, thousands of voters face a multitude of barriers that hinder their participation in our democracy. In 2016, over 4,000 incidents were reported on issues relating to poll locations, voter registration status, and voter ID requirements. Voter suppression tactics became more widespread during the 2018 midterms, where the top barriers to voting became: long lines and later openings at polls, issues with voter registrations, restrictive voter ID laws, intimidation and deceptive practices at polling stations, lack of voter assistance, and aggressive voter list purges. In fact, recent analysis of election practices across the country found that Texas led the nation in poll site closures since 2012, with over 750 poll sites shuttered. While we must be proactive in defending state, local and federal elections by providing the necessary resources to fortify our country's election infrastructure and security, these resources must be accompanied by reasonable accountability measures that ensure Texas officials are prioritizing appropriate election security measures. Of significant concern is the fact that at least two Texas counties have recently purchased new paperless voting systems, which national security and election security experts agree are vulnerable to attack.

The 2020 primary and general elections are expected to see record breaking voter turnout. In 2018, approximately 46% of eligible voters—more than 8 million Texans—voted. With nearly 15 million active registered voters in Texas, it is incumbent upon your office to correct the voting challenges that have occurred in the past two elections. At the same time, any security vulnerabilities must be addressed before next year's elections. It is our shared responsibility to make sure all of our citizens can express their will at the ballot box, unencumbered or unadulterated by outside forces.

Given the difficulties the State of Texas faced during 2016 and 2018 elections—and the importance of the upcoming elections in 2020—we urge you to work to resolve any outstanding issues. To the extent additional federal support is necessary, we stand ready to help. To that end, we request a written response with the following information:

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1. Describe the state's efforts to improve election security since the 2016 election. Please also provide information on the state's oversight mechanisms for election security matters.

1. Describe how the $23,252,604 in Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funding was optimized to further strengthen election infrastructure security in the State of Texas, and the state's progress towards completing its proposed plan to utilize these funds. Specifically, please include a current accounting of how Texas has spent federal election security funding that was appropriated in 2018, as well as any other federal funds that have gone to election equipment or services in Texas.

1. Since the 2016 election, what specific actions has Texas pursued to combat false information or deceptive practices designed to undermine a persons' right to vote in federal elections? Please describe what, if any, reporting protocols or systems the State of Texas has in place should a citizen encounter false information or deceptive practices in relation to federal elections.

1. Please describe what steps the State of Texas has taken to address the threat of foreign disinformation warfare, including any engagement or information sharing relationships with any social media platforms – the prime vector for these ongoing hostile disinformation campaigns. Additionally, what additional federal assistance, best practices and/or legislative remedies would assist Texas in deterring disinformation in our elections in advance of the 2020 election?

1. Since the 2016 elections, what specific steps has Texas taken to ensure that any new systems related to election management will properly process and count ballots in the 2020 primary and general elections?

1. Texas has not spent any money preparing for the 2020 census, despite massive population growth in the past decade. How is Texas preparing for the 2020 census? Please describe any statewide plans for the census that will be adopted to ensure an accurate count of all Texans, including low-income populations and minorities. Additionally, what measures are being taken to prevent census disinformation, foreign and domestic disruption, and partisan interferences in the 2020 elections?

1. Since the 2016 election, what specific steps has Texas taken to ensure that voters will be able to vote without long wait times during the 2020 primary and general elections? Please also provide information on how the state will ensure that all voters who are in line before polls close will be able to cast their vote.

1. Texas' adoption of the "vote center" model of voting has been held up as the reason Texas leads the nation in poll site closure since 2012. Yet, research has found 250 poll sites have been closed in Texas' counties that still conduct precinct centered voting. Please describe this discrepancy and the methodology that informs a decision to close a given poll site. Additionally, please detail what steps are being taken to notify voters of poll site closures in a timely fashion ahead of the 2020 primary and general elections.

1. Texas adopted a major change in its voting procedure by eliminating the straight-party option for voters that had been in place for decades and was chosen as the method of voting by well over half of the persons casting ballots. What specific actions are being taken to educate voters about the elimination of the straight-party option and encouraging them to vote in each race? Further, what administrative actions are being taken to ensure that the elimination of the straight-party option does not lead to long-lines and delays at polling places and confusion by voters that can be exploited or exacerbated by those who wish to interfere with our elections?

1. Recently, two Texas counties, San Jacinto and Taylor, spent almost $400,000 in 2018 and over $1 million in 2019 on new paperless voting machines. There is widespread agreement by the Department of Homeland Security and election security experts that these machines are not secure. What is the state of Texas doing to encourage counties to invest in voting machines that produce paper ballots to ensure security and verification?

1. Earlier this year, the Secretary of State's office engaged in a massive effort to purge approximately 95,000 minority voters from the Texas voting rolls by inaccurately claiming that they were non-citizens. The state ceased these efforts only after being directed to do so by federal court order. Have all efforts to purge Texas citizens from our voter rolls been halted, and what further actions are being taken by the Secretary of State to assure that participation in elections by all Texas citizens will be encouraged and expanded?

Additionally, we request a briefing from your office on these issues in a timely manner.

Thank you for your attention to this request.