Cameron County, Texas Halts Voter Purge In Response to Voto Latino Efforts
Washington, DC – Election officials in Cameron County, Texas announced that they would halt efforts to purge registered voters from the county’s electoral rolls in response to a letter from Voto Latino threatening legal action. Voto Latino sent the letter after learning that the Cameron County Department of Elections and Voter Registration was contacting eligible voters demanding they prove their citizenship within 30 days or be removed from the rolls in violation of the National Voter Registration Act.
“This is an important win for voters in Cameron County and a clear signal to other jurisdictions that they have a responsibility to obey federal law when it comes to protecting voting rights,” said Maria Teresa Kumar, founder and president of Voto Latino. “Efforts to purge voter rolls based on flimsy allegations about ineligibility aren’t just bad for our democracy, they’re illegal. These tactics endanger the rights of all voters, and we know that Latino voters are among those at the highest risk of being disenfranchised.”
In response to Voto Latino’s outreach, Cameron Country announced that it will not take any additional action to strike voters from the rolls until after the upcoming federal primary elections, which take place on March 1 with a runoff on May 24. The County further said it will reinstate any registrations cancelled in violation of the NVRA.
“While we’re fighting for comprehensive voter reform at the federal level, this is an important reminder that Civil Rights laws matter,” said Kumar. “We’ll use every tool at our disposal to defend against attacks on the power our community has at the ballot box.”
You can read Voto Latino’s letter to Cameron County Department of Elections and Voter Registration here and the county’s response here.
If you’d like to schedule an interview with Maria Teresa Kumar about Voto Latinos efforts to protect voting rights in Texas and across the country, contact [email protected].
# # #
Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power.