After Texas Democrats heroically held the line in preventing passage of Texas’ restrictive voting bill by twice walking out of the state capitol to break quorum, the Republican-led legislature has finally passed the bill. Of the 30 anti-voter bills passed into law this year in 18 different states so far, this new law in Texas is one of the most egregious and dangerous. The bill eliminates accessible methods of casting a ballot like drive-in and 24-hour voting; imposes new, onerous restrictions on absentee voting; limits campaign activities used to encourage people to vote; empowers partisan poll-watchers to intimidate voters; and creates harsh penalties for the patriotic citizens who work tirelessly to run Texas elections.
“With Texas’ new, dangerous, and un-American anti-voter law now passed through the state legislature, it’s more important than ever that the U.S. Senate take immediate action to protect the freedom to vote for all Americans,” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote President Tiffany Muller. “When the U.S. Senate returns in September its first priority must be to pass the For the People Act to counteract dangerous, discriminatory anti-voter laws like this new law passed in Texas, and they must not allow outdated processes or procedures to stand in the way. It is the only way to ensure every American’s voice and vote is protected and that our democracy works for everyone, not just those at the top.”
###