AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On the first day of early voting in Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the formation of a 2021 Election Integrity Unit, which is charged with maintaining secure local elections in Texas.

Paxton’s office also set up a public email address Monday to document alleged violations of the Texas Election Code.

These violations include:

• Suggesting by word, sign, or gesture how someone should vote. 
• Voting by mail, if ineligible.
• Accepting assistance with marking a ballot, if ineligible. 
• A vote harvester collecting your ballot from you. 

According to the press release, the unit will dedicate agency lawyers, investigators, staff and resources to ensure “this local election season … is run transparently and securely.”

“The foundation of our constitutional republic is a secure and transparent ballot,” Paxton said. “It is why my office remains ever vigilant in defending the integrity of our elections. And it’s why I’m establishing a 2021 Texas Election Integrity Unit to monitor this season’s local elections — which, even though they’re local, must be run in accordance with state law.” 

Increasing election integrity has been a central focus of Paxton’s tenure. Currently, Paxton’s office is prosecuting over 500 election fraud cases in Texas, according to his website. 

At this time, it is unknown how this newly formed unit is different from Paxton’s previous efforts to combat election fraud.

In 2020, Paxton’s office was a national leader on this front, dedicating thousands of hours and resources to investigating fraud. Only 16 cases were prosecuted from the 2020 election, according to the Houston Chronicle.