(C) Texas Tribune
This story was first published on Texas Tribune.org[1]
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The Blast: Legislature wrapping up, Paxton announces election task force, Dems continue voting rights advocacy in Washington
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Date: 2021-10

PAXTON FORMS LOCAL ELECTION TASK FORCE

Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the formation Monday of the 2021 Texas Election Integrity Unit, tasked with ensuring local elections are run transparently and securely.



The move comes as Republicans across the country crack down on election fraud, even though there is no widespread evidence of fraud impacting major elections. Paxton, a two-term Republican who is seeking reelection, has rallied behind the cause of rooting out election fraud, rolling out announcements about fraud in local elections leading up to the 2020 presidential election.



Paxton, an ally of Donald Trump and recipient of the former president's endorsement, filed suit last year to challenge the results of the presidential election in four battleground states that Joe Biden won. The Supreme Court rejected the suit, saying Texas had no legal standing to file it.



“The foundation of our constitutional republic is a secure and transparent ballot,” Paxton said in his announcement. “It is why my office remains ever vigilant in defending the integrity of our elections. And it’s why I’m establishing a 2021 Texas Election Integrity Unit to monitor this season’s local elections—which, even though they’re local, must be run in accordance with state law.”



Last year, the state filed suit against Harris County to prevent its election administrator, a former Democratic Party staffer, from sending out unsolicited mail ballot applications to all 2.4 million registered voters in the county. The all-Republican Texas Supreme Court sided with Paxton and blocked the sending of the applications, even though the clerk's office had already mailed them to all voters over the age of 65.



The unit is separate from the attorney general's Election Integrity Division, which monitors and prosecutes election fraud year-round. The unit is assigned to local elections. — James Barragán

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[1] URL: https://mailchi.mp/texastribune/the-blast-legislature-wrapping-up-paxton-announces-election-task-force-dems-continue-voting-rights-advocacy-in-washington
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