WASHINGTON — With in-person early voting starting yesterday in the Texas primary, voters are experiencing the effects of state Republicans’ restrictive voting law passed last year. SB 1 has resulted in chaos across the state, as election workers have scrambled to adapt to changes and attempted to quickly educate voters on the new restrictions to vote-by-mail and the early voting period. Thousands of mail-in ballots have already been rejected across Texas, including nearly 40% of absentee ballots in Harris County, one of Texas’ most populous counties.
“Texas Republicans got everything that they wished for in SB1, a measure that would immediately confuse the electorate, diminish voter access, and put individuals at risk of disenfranchisement,” DLCC President Jessica Post said. “Republican anti-voter tactics are nothing new, but Texas’ SB1 unequivocally proves that the Republican strategy in 2022 is to do whatever it takes to hold onto power. But at the same time, state Democrats across the country are responding to blatant Republican attacks on voting rights by fighting to expand access to the ballot box.”
Voters in Texas who have had their mail-in ballot or ballot application rejected have a right to address the errors and have their vote counted. The DLCC commends the hundreds of advocates and election workers who are working tirelessly to inform the public of the new voting rules and ensure that every vote is counted amidst dangerous Republican attacks on voting rights.
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