SAN ANTONIO — “Voter registration, voter turnout have to go hand in hand," said Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai. "If you don’t have registered voters, you ain’t got voters.”

It was a packed house at Bexar County Commissioners Court, with the pending decision to contract a company to send voter registration applications in the mail.

What You Need To Know

  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton followed through on a threat to sue Bexar County over voter outreach efforts

  • The Democratic stronghold has signed a contract with a third party to to send voter registration applications to 250,000 unregistered residents 

  • Paxton said it is "unlawful and reckless for counties to use taxpayer dollars to indiscriminately send voter registration forms with no consideration of the recipients’ eligibility and without any statutory authority to do so”

  • Some Bexar County residents voiced concerns about the arrangement 

“This is the last thing we should be doing right now,” said a concerned resident.

In July, Commissioner Justin Rodriguez proposed hiring Civic Government Solutions to engage unregistered voters. 

“Just looked at how we could do the right thing by not Democrats or Republicans, but our constraints in Bexar County. That was to make the registration process easier,” said Bexar County Precinct 2 Commissioner Justin Rodriguez.

But Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threatened to sue the county if they move forward with the CGS contract. He has since made good on that threat. The contract would send applications directly to 250,000 unregistered residents with pre-stamped return envelops. 

“A lawsuit almost certainly from the AG’s office,” said Commissioner Grant Moody of Precinct 3. “We’re going to do all that for what?”

Paxton saying in a statement, “It is unlawful and reckless for counties to use taxpayer dollars to indiscriminately send voter registration forms with no consideration of the recipients’ eligibility and without any statutory authority to do so.”

Claims the court’s legal counsel disagrees with.

“Misleading at best,” said the court legal counsel.

“False rhetoric,” said Commissioner Rebecca Clay-Flores of Precinct 4.

“I think so,” counsel responded.

A number of residents questioned the company’s motives.

“CGS is not a partisan organization,” said one resident, “and taxpayers' funds should not be used.”

Jermery Smith, the CGS CEO, was present to answer commissioner’s questions. He assured them they would target all citizens, not just one political affiliation.

“The contracts always stipulate that this must be nonpartisan for every eligible person who arises in any of those data sets,” Smith said. 

With a 3-1 vote, the motion passed to contract CGS for $392,000. 

“I want to protect the voters,” said Bexar County Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen. “I don’t want them to be anxious. I don’t want them to be intimidated.”

Callanen expressed concerns about similar mailers that have been sent by both political parties. 

“I got two of them in the mail,” said one voter during public comment.

Callanen said there’s nearly 4,000 voter applications waiting to be processed and the office would need more processors to help with the anticipated influx of applications.

“We’re going to make sure you get the staff you need,” said Commissioner Clay-Flores.