Texas Democrats this week launched a new online tool that will make it easier for voters to register.
While voters can’t literally register online like they can with their drivers license — Texas is one of 11 states that still does not offer online registration — by using RegisterTexas.com, voters can complete an online form which will then be sent to them in a postage-paid envelope pre-addressed to the voter’s county voter registrar.
“For decades, Texas Republicans have put forth some of the toughest voter registration laws in the country, like restricting online voter registration. In the time of coronavirus, these suppressive laws can be the difference between having the ability to vote and not,” Texas Democratic Party Voter Expansion Director Luke Warford said in a statement.
The initiative comes as elections in Texas are headed to an uncertain future amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, a district court ruled that Texans can vote by mail during the pandemic, an opportunity typically reserved for the elderly or disabled. That decision is now heading to a conservative appeals court where Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has vowed to fight the ruling.
Texas has already postponed the May 26 runoff election to July. Texans must register to vote or mail in an application at least 30 days before the election date.
Photo: Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty Images
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignalarchive.com
