A state investigation is underway over allegations of voter fraud in Tarrant County, according to a report from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Concerns have arisen over mail-in ballots, which many believe open the door to "vote harvesting," or the process of illegally filling out and returning the ballots of valid voters without their consent.

Mail-in ballots are designed for eligible voters who are unable to leave their homes, are in jail or out of the country, and many argue that such balloting is critical for those who would be unable to vote otherwise.

But the mail-in balloting process allows those voters to cast their votes from home without verification of identity, which some say opens the door for abuse.

Some believe the investigation is likely politically motivated and might scare some out of voting via mail-in ballots, while others say it is addressing an issue that has existed for years.

"The Republicans have been looking for a blockbuster case to demonstrate that voter fraud isn't just a series of small mistakes," Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, told the Star-Telegram. "If some of these allegations turn out to be true, they may finally have their white whale."

Rotinghaus said whether or not there is lawbreaking going on, "the issue of voting is polarized and revelations this close to an election are bound to have an effect on Democratic Party and affiliated groups' efforts to get out the vote. Voters may be hesitant to sign up for or vote through a mail-in ballot, let alone give it to someone else. This may reduce turnout in some heavily Democratic areas that utilize this process."

The Tarrant County Elections Administration declined to comment on the investigation.

The attorney general's office also declined to comment or "confirm or deny investigations," but when asked for the complaints that prompted the investigation, workers declined to release them due to concern that doing so might hamper a criminal investigation.

Local officials said workers with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office have been interviewing potential witnesses and gathering paperwork in Tarrant County.

Gov. Greg Abbott shared his thoughts on the investigation via Twitter saying, "we will crush illegal voting."