Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (Op-Ed): Why is Texas voter turnout so embarrassing? Lack of online registration, for starters

We got it right in Texas when we inscribed in our Constitution that “all political power is inherent in the people.”

But politicians in power today are not living up to that ideal. Texas is the fourth-most difficult state to vote in by one analysis and 41st in the nation when it comes to voter turnout. We had 9.6 million registered Texas voters sit out the last election — more than the entire population of states such as New Jersey or Virginia.

This holds the state back.

These unacceptable results come from years of deliberate underfunding of our election systems and the codification of voter suppression tactics. Meanwhile, some state leaders are fanning the flames of disinformation, toying with pulling out of the valuable voter list maintenance tool known as the Electronic Registration Information Center. They should instead be figuring out how every eligible voter in Texas can vote without barriers.

Continuing down a path of voter suppression and disenfranchisement is a choice. Legislators meeting in Austin now could easily reverse course. Here’s a few simple suggestions of how to turn things around.

First, let’s adequately fund our elections infrastructure. We’ve got dedicated election workers across this state, but they are stretched too thin.

Our statewide voter education budget works out to just 21 cents per eligible voter — not enough to put a stamp on a postcard. In a legislative session that touts a historic $32.7 billion budget surplus, we can afford to fund voter outreach at levels that would meet the needs of our growing state.

Next, let’s acknowledge that it’s 2023 and we need modern options. Texas is one of just eight states that prevents people from registering to vote online.

This is unworkable in a state that a half-million people are moving to every year — to our military bases, tech hubs, major cities, small towns and wide open expanses. Tens of thousands of young Texans also turn 18 annually, ready and eligible to vote.

But without the option of registering to vote online, people jump through hoops figuring out how to get a paper form, filling it out, and then delivering it by mail or other means to their county board of elections. It’s easy to see how registering to vote may slip off folks’ radar until Election Day comes and they realize they can’t have a say in the future of their community.

That brings us to another suggestion. Let’s close the 30-day gap between the deadline to register to vote and elections.

We require Texans to be registered a full month before Election Day. Our neighbors in New Mexico let people register up to three days before an election. Allowing later registration will go a long way toward making sure we all have a say in the future of our state.

None of these solutions are complicated, but they are urgent.

Texas lawmakers need to stop their partisan games and enact reforms this year that enable every eligible voter to cast a ballot easily, securely and free from intimidation.

Katya Ehresman is the voting rights program manager for Common Cause Texas, a nonpartisan democracy reform organization. She can be reached at kehresman@commoncause.org.