Texas Passed an Election Bill That Puts New Restrictions on Voting
The Texas Senate in the early morning hours Thursday passed a sweeping election bill that cuts early voting options and empowers partisan poll watchers.
Senate Bill 7 bans overnight early voting and drive-thru early voting, popular options offered by Harris County, Texas, during the 2020 election.
Republican lawmakers championed the bill as a measure that would make Texas elections more secure, but advocates argued the state was trying to make voting harder, particularly for communities of color, disabled voters, and older voters.
The bill now heads to the Texas House of Representatives, which also considered its own omnibus package of restrictions, House Bill 6, on Thursday. The Texas Legislature leads the nation in restrictive voting bills, according to the Brennan Center for Justice; 49 bills have been introduced that would limit access to the ballot box.
