Ian Patrick, FISM News
The Texas House of Representatives on August 29 passed the controversial voting securities legislation on an 80-41 vote, after some of the opposing Democrats returned to the chamber to continue deliberations. Since the bill was amended during its tenure in the House, it moves back to the Texas Senate where it had previously passed and is expected to pass again.
The bill, known as Senate Bill 1, was stalled after Democrats from Texas fled the state and traveled to Washington D.C. to bring national attention to the issue and discuss a federal voting legislation. Even before fleeing, these same Democrats staged a walkout to prevent a vote on the bill since Texas law does not allow business to take place without two-thirds of the elected officials present. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and fellow Republicans chastised these lawmakers for their political stunts and have since ordered multiple special sessions and threatened to arrest the absent legislators.
As reported by FISM News, the bill will “add more hours to vote than ever allowed, but would also require ID for mail-in balloting and ban drive-through voting, 24-hour polling, and ballot drop-boxes.”
Voting security has become a hot-button issue for conservatives and liberals alike. Republicans have been opting for securities such as voter identification and more specified voting hours and collections for both in-person and main-in voting. Democrats, on the other hand, have generally been pushing the federal For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act both of which change the voting atmosphere with sweeping adjustments such as voting for 16 year-olds and little to no identification requirements.
Each side has accused the other of attempting to push partisan beliefs with their respective bills. However, the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act have been stalled in the federal chambers due to the unwillingness of Senate Republicans and some Senate Democrats to pass them. Senator Joe Manchin called the For the People Act a partisan attempt to shape voting rights.