Judge tosses Ken Paxton’s lawsuit targeting Bexar County’s voter registration effort

A state district court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which sought to block Bexar County’s voter registration initiative ahead of the November election. The lawsuit aimed to halt Bexar County’s plan to mail voter registration forms to residents who had recently moved to or within the county. Paxton’s office argued that the initiative could lead to ineligible individuals registering to vote.

During the hearing, Judge Antonia Arteaga ruled the request moot since the voter registration forms had already been mailed the previous week. Bexar County’s attorneys, including Assistant Criminal District Attorney Robert W. Piatt III, noted that the recipients had likely already received the forms and may have returned them. Piatt emphasized that the initiative was targeting qualified residents in an effort to ensure voter participation in the upcoming election.

Despite the ruling, Ryan Kercher, deputy chief of the special litigation division in Paxton’s office, argued that the plan posed risks of ineligible people registering, raising concerns about potential voter fraud. After the judge’s decision, Paxton appealed the ruling on Monday evening, accusing Bexar County officials of expediting the mail-out process to avoid the court’s intervention before the hearing.

The dismissal marks another development in the ongoing tension between state officials and local jurisdictions over voting rights and access, with Bexar County defending its efforts to promote civic engagement and voter participation. Paxton’s appeal suggests that the legal battle over this initiative is far from over.