Democrat wants answers on Texas voter-rolls flap during David Whitley's confirmation hearing

AUSTIN — The leading Democrat on the Texas Senate nominations committee says he will have some pointed questions for Secretary of State David Whitley when he appears before the panel Thursday regarding his decision to comb the voter rolls to determine whether non-citizens are casting ballots.

"While we should be sure our voting rolls are accurate, we cannot — should not —  impinge upon a citizen's right to vote," state Sen. Kirk Watson said in a statement to the USA Today Network late Monday. "There are very justifiable concerns that this effort to 'maintain' the voter roll is really about purging voters and suppressing the vote, particularly in a state that has such a stained history on voting rights."

Whitley was nominated by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in December as secretary of state and Texas' chief elections officer. Under state law, Whitley was allowed to assume his duties immediately because the Legislature was not in session. But not that the 2019 session has begun, the nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.

Whitley's name is among several that will be considered by the GOP-dominated Nominations Committee. But Watson, an Austin Democrat, is the panel's vice chairman.

Whitley has come under intense criticism from Democratic lawmakers and several minority-rights organizations after he issued a news release on Jan. 25 saying that up to 95,000 non-citizens might be on Texas voter rolls and that as many as 58,000 may have illegally cast ballots.

The initial reports drew widespread attention, and even earned a tweet from President Donald Trump, who asserted that massive voter fraud was taking place in Texas.

Since then, however, the Secretary of State's Office has acknowledged that its original estimates had been substantially overstated. Several county elections officials have said they've been contacted by the office saying that many of the names on the the list were, in fact, citizens.

The controversy has sparked several lawsuits naming Whitley and Abbott alleging voter intimidation and that naturalized U.S. citizens were being forced to jump through unconstitutional hoops in order to remain on the voting rolls.

None of the suits have been heard in court.

Typically, a governor's nomination for secretary of state finds a glide path to confirmation. And with the Texas Senate controlled 19-12 by Republicans, Whitley is considered a heavy favorite to be confirmed.

But Watson said Thursday's hearing "is an important opportunity to get answers" on the voter rolls controversy.

"He has taken an oath to protect the Constitution, and voting is one of the most fundamental rights granted by the Constitution," Watson said.

John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at John.Moritz@caller.com and follow him on Twitter @JohnnieMo.

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