State legislators advance voter restrictions
Apr. 10—The Texas Senate voted March 31 to advance Senate Bill 7, which would implement several new regulations regarding voting by mail, drive-through voting and electoral monitoring.
The bill relating to "elections, including election integrity and security; creating criminal offenses; providing civil penalties," would apply uniform election times for all precincts.
Early voting could only run nine hours a day in the first week and 12 in week two, with local officials given the discretion to set that window sometime between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Counties would be barred from sending applications for mail-in ballots to ineligible voters. Only seniors, active military, those with disabilities or those out of the county on election day are allowed to vote-by-mail in Texas.
Voting from a car would not be allowed unless the voter has a disability preventing them from entering the polling location.
Cameras would be required in all central counting centers, and poll watchers would be allowed to take video of election officials they reasonably believe are violating election code, but the bill affirms existing state law forbidding the recording of voters casting ballots.
After more than seven hours of debate, the bill deemed a priority by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick passed 18-13.
What the bill's supporters call security, its opponents refer to as suppression.
During debate, Senate Democrats argued the legislation would make widespread changes to address rare instances of fraud and reduce voter participation.
Supporters of the bill argue that local authorities took too many liberties changing the election code in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, opening the door for fraud and eroding public confidence in the electoral process.
After its passage in the Senate, the House of Representatives Elections Committee began its consideration April 8 of House Bill 6, relating to "election integrity and preservation of the purity of the ballot box through the prevention of fraud in the conduct of an election; increasing criminal penalties; creating criminal offenses."
In the House
A co-author of HB6, Rep. Cody Harris (HD-8) who represents Anderson, Freestone, Hill, Navarro counties, said he considers the proposed reforms to be common sense, aimed to ensure fair elections and voter confidence.
"Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. After last year, it's clear that many people in this district and across the country have lost faith in our election system," Harris stated. "It's not just the Presidential election, here in Texas we have several ongoing criminal investigations into widespread voter fraud."
"As a legislator, it's my responsibility to ensure we have fair elections, and more importantly, to ensure my constituents have faith in our election system. The reforms we've put in the bill are common sense. They protect voters and make it harder to cheat the system."
Critics of the bills including Democrats, business leaders, and voting rights advocates have opposed the measures, saying the effects could disenfranchise voters of color, with disabilities, low-income or limited English proficiency who are likely most affected by restricted voter access.
"Some in the media and big corporations who know nothing about the bill or voting laws in Texas are spreading false narratives and misinformation about the bill," Harris stated. "I would challenge them to read the bill, line by line, and point to any language that would suppress or discriminate. The fact is, the bill doesn't suppress or discriminate, and our it's our job to correct the narrative and ensure we have strong laws that protect the right of everyone to vote while preventing the potential for voter fraud."
If passed by the House, the bill is sent to Gov. Greg Abbott for final approval.
On the net:
To read the bills in full, visit:
https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=87R&Bill=SB7
https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=87R&Bill=HB6
