The GOP-led Texas state Senate approved an election integrity bill on April 1 that would prohibit mail-in ballot dropboxes and most drive-thru voting. It is a measure that Republicans said would "ensures election integrity." However, Democrats state that it is voter suppression that makes it more difficult for individuals with disabilities and ethnic minorities to vote.
Texas' Election Integrity Bill
The election bill, which was voted 18-13 along party lines, will now head to the state's House of Representatives. Committee hearings are expected to commence when the lawmakers convene on April 6.
In an overnight vote after over seven hours of deliberation, the Texas Senate signed off on Senate Bill 7. It would restrict extended early voting hours, ban drive-thru voting, and make it not legal for local election officials to proactively send applications to vote by mail to voters, even if they are eligible. The bill is at the forefront of the Texas GOP's campaign to limit voting in the state following the 2020 election.
The amendments set forth on the floor by Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes amid the debate cited changes to controversial measures. These included the voting hours, initial bill language on poll watchers, the number of county polling locations, and disability verification. The measure would also provide partisan poll watchers broader authority when observing at a polling location. It involves being permitted to record a voter who receives assistance as they fill out their ballot, reported CNN.
The bill also extends partisan poll watchers' powers. Critics remark this could intimidate Black voters. During former President Donald Trump's campaign, Republicans repeatedly complained in November that observers were not provided sufficient access to the voting and vote-counting process. It also imposes particular measures for how polling places could be disseminated in counties with at least one million voters. It largely applies to areas electing Democrats.
Georgia Law on Voting Rights Results in Partisan Battle
According to Hughes, the measure is designated to address areas through a process where bad actors could take advantage because they want the Texas public to be confident that their elections are honest, fair, and open. The legislation clarifies and standardizes voting measures, so all Texas citizens have a fair and equal opportunity to cast their ballot, regardless of where they live in the state, reported The Epoch Times.
Although the GOP remains in the full dominion of state government, Texas witnessed the highest turnout in decades in 2020. Democrats continue to drive up their vote counts in Texas' diversifying suburban communities and urban centers. Like other proposals under consideration at the Texas Capitol, several of the restrictions in SB 7 would focus on initiatives championed in those areas to make it more convenient for more voters to participate in elections.
Democrats and voting rights activists have voiced out concerns over the legislation. They touted it as suppressive and noted it appears to directly target Harris County's voting methods, which involves the heavily Democratic city of Houston. According to H. Drew Galloway, MOVE Texas Action Fund executive director, Senate Bill 7 will limit all qualified voters' right to vote.
'Kill the Bill' Bristol Protest Sees 20 Police Officers Injured
