AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate and House approved a final version of Senate Bill 1 on Tuesday, which means that the bill now heads to the governor’s desk for a signature. SB 1 implements severe voter restrictions that disproportionately target voters of color, voters with disabilities, voters who do not speak English as their first language, and older voters.
Research shows that Texas is already the hardest state in the country to vote. SB 1 will make it even harder for Texans to vote by banning drive-thru voting, restricting early voting hours, preventing disabled and limited English proficiency voters from receiving needed assistance, expanding criminal penalties in the election code, and emboldening partisan poll watchers.
The following quote can be attributed to Tommy Buser-Clancy, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas:
“Texans of all backgrounds and pro-voter lawmakers have fought tooth and nail for months against Texas’ voter suppression law. SB 1 will make it harder and scarier to vote and to run elections, especially for communities of color and voters with disabilities. If lawmakers had listened, they would know that Texans want voting to be easy and accessible. The stroke of a pen can’t silence the will of the people. The ACLU of Texas will continue to fight using all available tools for a democracy that works for all of us.”
