The Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) uses Legal Advocacy to empower Texas Communities and create Policy change. In its twenty-five year history, TCRP has brought thousands of Strategic Lawsuits, defending voting Rights, fighting Institutional Discrimination, and Reforming systems of Criminal Justice. Today, with dozens of high-caliber Attorneys and Professionals in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and the Rio Grande Valley, and an extensive network of Pro Bono Counsel and community allies, TCRP is among the most influential Civil Rights Organizations in the Lone Star State.
Chief Judge Orlando Garcia of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas denied the State’s Motion to Dismiss Stringer v. Pablos, TCRP’s “Motor Voter” Case.
This decision provides critical validation of the arguments advanced by the Plaintiffs, Disenfranchised Texas Voters, who challenge Voter Registration Processes at the Department of Public Safety under the National Voter Registration Act, or NVRA, and the U.S. Constitution.
One by one, Judge Garcia considered the State’s arguments for Dismissal and rejected them. Judge Garcia found the State’s current Procedures “inconsistent with the plain language of the NVRA,” refusing to adopt “circular and self-defeating” interpretations of the NVRA offered by the Defendants. Instead, the Judge expressly found that the NVRA applies to the thousands of Online Transactions Texans initiated through DPS.gov every day. This Ruling means that the Secretary of State should be Registering and Updating Voter Registrations for all of these individuals as a matter of course unless they opt out. Moreover, any alleged interest in avoiding the upfront expense in creating a modern system cannot justify “the burden imposed on voters” under the Equal Protection Clause.
From the beginning, TCRP has argued that “Motor Voter” failures have excluded countless Eligible Voters from the Texas Electorate. The Judge acknowledged the systemic nature of the State’s actions, noting that the Plaintiffs had “produced evidence that thousands of Texans submitted complaints to the state that related in some way to DPS’s processing of voter registration information through its website.”
Judge Garcia’s Decision comes on the heels of Sanctions imposed against Texas on February 17th for causing Undue Delay and for repeatedly, and without justification, ignoring Court Orders to provide the necessary Documents to move forward with the Case. TCRP represents the Plaintiffs with Co-Counsel at Waters Kraus LLP.
Mimi Marziani, Executive Director with the Texas Civil Rights Project, said:
“Today’s opinion is a resounding victory for the countless Texas voters who have been disenfranchised by the state’s failure to adhere with federal law. With this decision, we are hopeful that we can resolve the case before the 2018 election so that every eligible voter can cast a ballot that counts.”
CLICK HERE to read the 21 page (PDF) Order.
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