Attor­ney Gen­er­al Ken Pax­ton Sues Rad­i­cal Activist Orga­ni­za­tion for Unlaw­ful­ly Reg­is­ter­ing Ille­gals to Vote in Texas

In a forceful bid to safeguard Texas’s election integrity, Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a high-stakes lawsuit against the JOLT Initiative, Inc. (JOLT), accusing the organization of orchestrating a deliberate scheme to unlawfully register illegal immigrants to vote. The quo warranto action, filed in state court, seeks nothing less than the complete dissolution of JOLT’s corporate charter, forfeiture of its privileges, and recovery of legal costs for the state. This move underscores Paxton’s ongoing crusade against what he describes as rampant election manipulation by left-wing groups desperate to tilt the scales in their favor.

“The left constantly tries to cheat and rig elections because they know they can’t win honestly,” Paxton declared in a statement. “Any organization attempting to register illegals, who are all criminals, must be completely crushed and shut down immediately. JOLT is a radical, partisan operation that has, and continues to, knowingly attempt to corrupt our voter rolls and weaken the voice of lawful Texas voters. I will make sure they face the full force of the law.

Founded in 2016 amid the backlash to Donald Trump’s presidential victory—as a direct “fight back against the politics of hate” targeting Republican and conservative ideologies—JOLT has grown into a powerhouse of progressive activism. Despite its claims of nonpartisanship, the group’s mission is unabashedly left-leaning: mobilizing young Latino voters to push for open-borders policies, climate initiatives, and other Democratic priorities while undermining conservative candidates and causes. JOLT’s affiliated 501(c)(4) arm, Jolt Action, brands itself as “the largest Latino progressive organization in Texas,” explicitly focused on building political power for young Latinos to “transform” the state in a progressive direction. Financially robust, JOLT reported total revenues of $1,159,048 in 2023, with expenses exceeding $2.4 million, fueling its expansive grassroots operations across the state.

The heart of Paxton’s case lies in an investigation by his office, which uncovered JOLT’s systematic violations of the Texas Election Code. Operatives from the group, including trained Volunteer Deputy Registrars (VDRs), have been stationed outside Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) locations, handing out instructions that flout state law. These drives allegedly coach individuals—potentially including those lacking proper identification, such as illegal aliens—to submit fraudulent voter registration applications riddled with false statements about eligibility, citizenship, or ID requirements. Such actions contravene Texas Election Code sections 13.002 and 13.007, which mandate accurate disclosures and prohibit aiding in deceptive filings.