Austin, Texas (AP) — Drastic Changes to Texas Election Code Republican Governor Greg Abbott Signing the law on Tuesday makes it difficult and sometimes legally risky to vote in states that already have some of the country’s most restrictive voting laws.
Democrats gridlocked the Capitol for 38 consecutive days after more than 50 fled to Washington, DC in July, denying Republicans the quorum needed to carry out state operations. A sufficient number of them came back about three weeks ago to end the deadlock, and Republican leaders did the quick job of pushing the bill through both rooms. Abbott said he would sign soon, Happened on Tuesday..
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, Texas is in at least 18 states, including Florida, Georgia, and Arizona, and has set new voting restrictions since the 2020 elections. The National Republican campaign to strengthen voting laws has been partially driven by the false allegations of former President Donald Trump that elections have been stolen.
Let’s take a closer look at the contents of the new Texas law.
Empower pollsters
Some of the most important changes in Texas law relate to partisan poll observers, volunteers assigned by both major political parties to observe votes and counts. Most recently, in 1962, some Republican pollsters in Texas read and explained the US Constitution to black and Latin voters before casting ballots as part of a campaign called “Operation Eagle Eye.” I asked you to do it. In 2020, then President Donald Trump Cited unconfirmed observations from Republican voting watchers to spread suspicion about the outcome Make false claims of fraud.
The final wording of the omnibus law gives partisan pollsters new access, protection, and power. The law makes the refusal of a pollster appointed by the election custodian a Class A misdemeanor comparable to a vehicle robbery. Under this bill, anyone who deliberately obstructs the view of pollsters also violates the law. The law states that watchers can “move freely” around the voting facility and “sit and stand close enough to hear and see activities.” Texas law still prohibits voting watchers from monitoring the actual voting, but it may monitor the transfer of voting data.
The law allows poll observers to sue and seek court orders from disturbing election authorities. The new law also pledges that voting watchers will not harass voters and requires them to complete training and present proof of arrival before attending.
Voting guards can only be dismissed if an election clerk or judge witnesses a breach and if they violate the criminal law.
Republicans argue that these changes are necessary because voters trust elections only if their representatives have free access to almost all aspects of voting and counting. But Democrats and civil rights groups are worried about the history of Texas conservatives using pollsters to intimidate racial and minority voters.
Limit opportunities to vote
Laws written by the Republicans clearly roll back how Democratic counties facilitate people’s voting, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. It prohibits ballot drop boxes (a practice that has been used for many years without major problems in other states) and prohibits mailing absentee ballot applications and ballots to all voters. The law is also a felony for election managers who vote for unsolicited applications and ballots by mail.
Republican law also bans drive-through voting for most voters and regulates the amount of time the county government can keep polling stations open. It puts a stop at the 24-hour voting area. Harris County, Houston, is one of the largest and most racially diverse regions in the United States, with 140,000 voters saying they used drive-throughs and 24-hour locations in November.
Republicans argue that these procedures were used during an ongoing but once-in-a-century pandemic and should not be a normal feature of state voting. Democrats and voting groups say these measures simply made it easier for people to cast ballots, especially for the working class, young and sick voters, to access voting.
Two provisions of the law make voting more convenient by extending the early voting time and allowing the workplace to allow employees to vote during or on election day.
New hurdles for voting
Texas is already one of the most difficult states in the country to vote by mail. This process is limited to voters or persons with disabilities aged 65 and over who leave the state during elections.However, Republicans in Texas and elsewhere after Trump opposed mail voting during a failed bid for reelection. Opposed to the method We have been enthusiastic about tightening regulations.
Texas law includes a requirement to include a driver’s license number, election identification certificate, or the last four digits of a social security number, and a “ink on paper” signature that is verifiable to match anything, for voters. We will add more procedures and paperwork for you previously submitted a signature to the corresponding Texas Public Safety Authority record.
Opponents of this provision say it’s somewhat similar to what was passed in Georgia, but that it will create another opportunity for voters to make small mistakes and throw out ballots.
The new law partially addresses that concern. Voters who submit ballots before the election day will be notified of the issue and can go to the election office to fix some issues that could disqualify the vote, such as signature mismatches. ..
Criminal punishment
Texas law, Like others approved or proposed this yearCreate or expand some criminal offenses related to elections. Some of them are broadly defined and can trap voters or their supporters. Republicans argue that it is necessary to prevent fraud and improper influence on voters. To be precise, the Democratic Party states that fraudulent voting is extremely rare. The state’s Republican Attorney General has spent millions of dollars investigating fraudulent elections since last year, but found only a handful of cases in the state where more than 11 million people voted in November.
The law extends the existing obligation for those who support voters on ballots to provide information about envelopes certifying their role. Under the law, anyone who helps voters complete ballots, under penalties for perjury, submits names, addresses, relationships, and details of whether paid by the campaign or political commissar. You need to swear. Voters who are unable to complete or read the ballot on their own can vote with assistance.
In the victory of disability advocates who stated that the clause requires disclosure of personal or medical information, the final wording of the law is to prove that voters are eligible for disability or inability to read ballots. Amended the oath not to require voting assistants.
The law also requires local election authorities to refer all cases of improperly thrown ballots to the state Attorney General. Voting groups are concerned that this could be abused to prosecute common errors such as voters failing to renew their registrations when moving through counties. Republicans argue that this is a common-sense way to prevent fraud.
Words that would protect against prosecution if people convicted of felony voted without knowing they were not eligible to vote were last-minute removed from the bill. This is one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement, with two Texas voters (both black) who have been criticized in a widespread dispute over voting restrictions that opposition will affect voters disproportionately. ) Was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives in response to the opposition to the arrest. Senate Republicans refused to change.
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Riccardi reported from Denver. Austin’s Associated Press writer Paul J. Weber contributed to this report.
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Coronado is a corps member of the Associated Press / American Capitol News Initiative Report Report. Report for America Is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in the local newsroom to report on unreported issues.
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