The Libertarian Party of Texas (LPTexas) opposes Senate Bill 396, which mandates that voter registrars send confirmation notices to all individuals who have not voted in the preceding 25 months and initiates removal procedures for those who fail to respond and do not vote in subsequent elections. While presented as a voter roll maintenance effort, SB 396 imposes unnecessary state surveillance and penalizes lawful non-participation in elections.

1. Punishes Lawful Non-Voting and Suppresses Participation
   Voting is a right—not an obligation. SB 396 treats lawful inactivity as justification for potential disenfranchisement, placing voters at risk of being removed from registration rolls simply for choosing not to vote. LPTexas affirms that voluntary civic participation must be protected and that the state should not penalize individuals for opting out of an election.
   
   
2. Expands Bureaucratic Overreach and State Surveillance
   SB 396 increases the power of government to track and monitor private citizen behavior without evidence of fraud or illegitimacy. Under the LPTexas platform, this kind of government intrusion into individual autonomy violates the principle of limited, non-coercive governance.
   
   
3. Disproportionately Impacts Marginalized and Mobile Populations
   Voters with housing instability, frequent relocations, or limited access to mail—such as students, low-income individuals, and seniors—are disproportionately vulnerable to erroneous removal under this bill. LPTexas opposes any measure that unfairly targets specific populations or creates bureaucratic obstacles to the free exercise of constitutional rights.
   
   

Conclusion
The Libertarian Party of Texas urges the Legislature to reject SB 396. Maintaining accurate voter rolls is important—but not at the cost of individual liberty and access to the ballot. Voter registration systems should be secure, simple, and non-punitive. Government should never wield administrative procedures to discourage or penalize free citizens for their choices.