In an effort to safeguard the integrity of elections and protect the right to vote, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas announced that more than one million ineligible voters have been removed from the state's voter rolls since the signing of Senate Bill 1 into law in 2021. These individuals include those who have moved out-of-state, are deceased, or are noncitizens.

Governor Abbott emphasized the importance of election integrity, stating, "Election integrity is essential to our democracy." He further highlighted the strong election laws enacted in Texas to crack down on illegal voting, signifying the state's commitment to ensuring legal voting practices.

Since the implementation of Senate Bill 1, the removal process has been ongoing and will continue. The Secretary of State and county voter registrars have a legal obligation to review the voter rolls, identify and remove ineligible voters, and refer any cases of potential illegal voting to the Attorney General's Office and local authorities for further investigation and prosecution.

Notably, the removals include various categories of ineligible voters. This encompasses individuals with felony convictions, those on the suspense list, individuals who responded to an address confirmation notice indicating that they have moved, and those who failed to respond to a notice of examination. Furthermore, individuals who requested to cancel their registration have also been removed.

Among the notable figures, over 6,500 noncitizens have been removed from the voter rolls. Of that number, approximately 1,930 individuals have a voter history recorded. The Secretary of State's office is currently in the process of forwarding these 1,930 records to the Attorney General's Office for further investigation and potential legal action.

To reinforce efforts in curbing illegal voting, Governor Abbott signed House Bill 1243 into law last year. This legislation increased the penalty for illegal voting, including voting by noncitizens, to a second-degree felony. Additionally, Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill 1, Senate Bill 1113, and House Bill 574 in 2021. These bills encompassed provisions such as elevating lying while registering to vote to a state jail felony, criminalizing ballot harvesting, requiring randomized audits of elections every two years, banning distribution of unsolicited mail-in ballot applications and ballots, and mandating ID for mail-in ballots. Senate Bill 1113 also enabled the Secretary of State to withhold funds from counties that failed to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls, further emphasizing the commitment to election integrity.

Governor Abbott expressed a strong stance against illegal voting, asserting, "Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated." He pledged to protect Texans' right to vote while actively safeguarding elections from any form of illegal activity.

With these comprehensive election integrity measures in place, Texas remains committed to ensuring that only eligible citizens exercise their democratic right to vote, underscoring the significance of fair and secure elections in the state.