Following several attempts by President Donald Trump’s administration to restrict mail-in voting and mail-in ballots, Representative Christian Menefee (D-TX) is urging his constituents to ensure they’re registered to vote.
According to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, about 1.2 million voters in the battleground state are on the voter suspense list. This means these voters must complete additional paperwork when casting a ballot.
“It only takes a few minutes to check your registration, so I’m asking Texans to do it now instead of waiting until Election Day,” Rep. Menefee said.
Earlier this month, a whistleblower from the United States Postal Service (USPS) warned that the agency is rushing to implement new technologies and systems to handle election mail that could put mail-in ballots at risk. Over the weekend, a second federal judge ruled to freeze Trump’s executive order on mail-in ballots.
President Trump has repeatedly claimed that mail-in voting is “cheating,” despite himself relying on this form of voting, with his home state being Florida.
With the registration deadline of Oct. 5 approaching, Rep. Menefee is calling on Texans to double-check that their registration is complete and valid.
“I represent the district of Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland, and generations of Texans fought hard for the right to vote. We should never take that right for granted,” he said.
Rep. Menefee added that this issue is personal to him, with his grandfather having to pay a poll tax to cast his ballot.
“A generation later, his grandson gets to serve in the United States Congress,” Rep. Menefee said. “I carry that history with me every day, and it’s why I want to make sure every eligible Texan knows their rights and is ready to make their voice heard.”
No matter how you vote, Rep. Menefee said it is important that everyone is able to exercise their right to cast a ballot this November.
“We owe it to the generations who fought before us to make sure our voices are heard at the ballot box,” he said.
