Third Ward resident receives letter challenging voter registration

For photographer and Third Ward resident Lynn Lane, it all started with this odd letter in the mail. It was from the Harris County Voter Registrar's Office.

"I looked at it. I was going to throw it away before I headed to a shoot with the opera. I opened it up and I read that it was a question of my residential status," Lane says.

He says he's lived there for five years and he showed us his driver's license.

According to the letter, he had 30 days to fill out and return a form or his registration would be suspended. He's not alone. The registrar's office has received 4,000 such challenges. 

Lane says they are targeting a minority district that votes democratic and by “they” he means the Republicans.

The Republicans say the "they" is Alan Vera. “These challenges have been done county wide,” Vera said. He's been involved in election integrity for years and is on the party's Committee for Ballot Security.  He says they're not trying to disenfranchise anybody, they're just trying to make sure people vote where they live. As for targeting Democrats, he says that's simply not true, it was party blind.

"Hundreds are Republicans and there is a Harris County precinct chair, lives over here at the West Houston Airport where HCAD says there's no residence," he says.

He says the registrar’s office improperly suspended some registrations without waiting the full thirty days. We reached out to the office and are awaiting a response.