AUSTIN, Texas A statewide investigation that cast scrutiny on nearly 100,000 suspected noncitizen voters continued to unravel Thursday as more county officials revealed the states lists were filled with legitimate voters and critics demanded that the Republican leadership halt the process.

But Gov. Greg Abbott is still defending his states decision, describing it as a legitimate effort to curb illegal voting.

This is what you would categorize as a process, Abbott said at a press conference Thursday morning, later adding, Its important to let the data speak for itself.

So far, the data indicate that state leaders jumped the gun.

A List Riddled With False Positives