Texas Dems hope to register a million voters

Party launches a new website in an effort to boost voting rolls with online registration

WASHINGTON — The Texas Democratic Party is launching an effort to register 1 million new voters online after its statewide campaign to expand the voting rolls was stymied by coronavirus restrictions.

The party this week rolled out a new website where people can get about as close to registering online as possible in Texas, one of only 11 states that don't allow online registration.

Voters can go to the website, fill out a registration form, which the party will print and mail them, along with an envelope and stamp, so all they have to do is sign the form, put it in the envelope and drop it in the mail.

It’s the party’s latest attempt to work around the major hurdles the coronavirus has thrown up to Democratic efforts to make the state’s November elections competitive.

The party’s hopes in 2020 depend largely on new voters, and both Democrats and Republicans have poured millions into efforts to register them — massive campaigns that already have added 2 million voters since the 2016 election. But without online registration, much of the work in Texas depends on face-to-face interaction — going door to door and setting up booths on college campuses, at concerts, naturalization ceremonies, graduations and other big events that are prohibited during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Especially in the time of coronavirus, it’s absolutely a crisis not being able to register voters online,” said Abhi Rahman, a Democratic Party spokesman. “We’ve had to figure out a way to do it without breaking any rules.”

The site is similar to those used by groups including Vote.org.

But Democrats aren’t alone in making an effort to register more voters in Texas.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s campaign sent an email to supporters urging them to participate in weekly online trainings to learn how to reach out to voters and help them register.

“Democrats were emboldened by the last cycle and are pouring MILLIONS into Texas to influence our elections,” the email said. “Republicans up-and-down the ballot need YOUR HELP registering conservatives to vote!”

Democrats’ plan to expand the electorate in 2020 includes lawsuits in both state and federal court to allow voters to cast ballots by mail, which Texas currently restricts to those 65 or older or with an excuse, such as a disability.

A state district judge ruled last week that concern about contracting the coronavirus is a valid reason for voting by mail. But the state is almost certain to appeal the ruling, as Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton contends that under the law, fear of getting sick is not reason enough.

The Democrats now have a team of organizers making “wellness check” calls to seniors across the state, another new outreach effort. They ask those residents, who are eligible to vote by mail, how they are faring during the coronavirus outbreak, then make sure they’re registered to vote, as well.

The party estimates it can reach hundreds of thousands of voters though the phone calls.