The Republican-led Texas state Senate approved legislation on April 1 that would ban mail-in ballot drop boxes and most drive-thru voting, a measure that Republicans say “ensures election integrity,” while Democrats say it’s voter suppression and makes it harder for people with disabilities and ethnic minorities to vote.
The measure, according to state Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Republican, is “designed to address areas through process where bad actors can take advantage because we want the people of Texas to be confident their elections are fair, honest, and open.” The legislation “standardizes and clarifies” voting rules so “every Texan has a fair and equal opportunity to vote, regardless of where they live in the state.”
It also will require voters who have disabilities to prove that they can’t access polls in person in order to qualify for a mail-in ballot, and would also require authorization from top state leaders to be alerted about any private funding of more than $1,000 that is given to election departments, according to KXAN.
The state already required that a voter provide a reason to vote by mail, including being age 65 or older, having an illness or disability, or those confined to jail or who are out of the United States during the election.
Democrats and voter rights activists accused Senate Republicans of engaging in voter suppression.
“Every eligible Texan deserves to have their voice heard at the ballot box—regardless of their race, ethnicity, disability, gender, age, income, or party. SB 7 makes it harder for every Texan to vote,” a statement from the state Democratic Party said. “We aggressively fought this bill because we know it will disenfranchise racial and ethnic minority voters and voters with disabilities, including veterans.”
But the Texas Supreme Court ultimately rejected Democrats’ arguments and said that a lack of immunity didn’t constitute a physical disability.
