New numbers show voter registration has plummeted amid the coronavirus pandemic. The shutdown has made it nearly impossible for both Republicans and Democrats to enlist new voters here in Texas and in battleground states.
November is fast approaching, but many have yet to register. A new report finds registrations across 11 states fell 70 percent in April of this year compared to April four years ago.
Texas saw one of the steepest declines in new voter registration: about 75 percent from April 2020 compared to April 2016.
This year, April in Texas saw about one hundred thousand less new voter sign-ups compared to March. Directly in sync with when the shutdown orders took effect. David Becker is the Executive Director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research in Washington.
“As motor vehicle agencies have shut down, we’ve seen a sharp decline in that activity. Third party registration groups are just not able to register voters when they can’t establish face to face contact, knock on doors, etc,” Becker said.
One example: A Republican Super PAC which raised almost 13 million dollars, Engage Texas, had to shut down due to the pandemic.