Automatic Voter Registration and Texas House Bill #111

Do you know exactly what documents you need to register to vote? Or where in your County to send your application? Do you know if you can register to vote online? Most people don’t -- and that’s an issue. 

Without being registered, people cannot vote to elect the officials that actually represent their wants for their communities. To alleviate this, State Representative Ina Minajarez has filed Texas House Bill #111. Let’s take a look at why this piece of legislation is so necessary to pass to ensure our democratic process here in Texas.

Take action NOW to make voting more accessible to all in Texas. 

How Big of a Hassle is Voter Registration and Who Gets Left Behind?

Texas has a perennial debate on what measures are “election integrity” or “voter disenfranchisement”. Because of this, Texas has been ranked the hardest state to vote in across all the United States. 

Requiring people to actively register to vote provides barriers to voter participation -- particularly for communities of color:

• One out of five eligible voters in Texas are not registered to vote
• Less than two-thirds of eligible African-American voters were registered to vote in 2018, and
• Only about half of eligible Latine and Asian-American voters were registered to vote in 2018

The effects of higher voter registration and participation can be seen in many states across the US. A recent example of this would be how African Americans turned out for their state and shifted the political landscape in Georgia to more accurately represent its constituents.  

What Does Texas House Bill #111 Do?

House Bill #111 aims to get rid of much of the confusion behind registering to vote by requiring the State to do it for you. It would be similar to the National Voting Rights Act -- better known as the Motor Voter law-- which requires State motor vehicle agencies to offer voter registration opportunities. This law, however, can be complicated in implementation and is often challenged by our state’s Attorney General. 

 Here is what Texas House Bill #111 would do:

• County Registrar would register you to vote for you when you update your driver license or State ID
• Alleviate the confusion of if you are registered to vote or if your information is most accurate 
• Eliminate much of the voter participation gap between minorities

Why IGNITE is Supporting This Bill

Voting is an integral part of a democracy. As citizens, before we can have our voices heard in our government, we must be heard at the polls. For access to that, we must be registered to vote. That is why the passage of Texas House Bill #111 would allow more citizens access to the representation they deserve. 

IGNITE continuously works to bring our government to gender parity by encouraging womxn to run for office while also ensuring all voices are heard when electing these powerful womxn. IGNITE has shown support for removing barriers to representation such as the Crown Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Americans have the right to vote for the leaders who will represent us. We at IGNITE, with your help, demand that this right is fulfilled and that all eligible citizens of Texas don’t have any unnecessary barriers to registration. Texas House Bill #111 takes away some of those barriers.

Take action NOW to make voting more accessible to all in Texas. 

Additional Resources & Next Steps

The links below will jumpstart your education on voter registration in Texas.

• Texas House Bill #111 (Legiscan)
• Requirements Effects of Voter Registration (American Bar Association)
• What Voting is Like in Texas -- And Why It’s so Difficult (Texas Tribune)

Learning more may interest you to get involved in this issue. Advocacy is a powerful action you can take, starting today. Reach out to IGNITE to find out how you can fight for menstrual equality for all.

Take action NOW to make voting more accessible to all in Texas.