Texas Senate Democrats introduced a piece of election legislation this week that would expand voter registration and mail-in voting, an alternative to two GOP bills.
Senate Bill 61, otherwise known as the Barbara Jordan Fair Elections Act in honor of the first black woman elected to the state Senate, would include expanding mail-in voting, automatically registering people to vote upon receiving their driver’s license and allowing people to register to vote online.
“The act respects Texans' ability to choose how they would cast their ballot by expanding the use of vote by mail and expanding the early voting period,” state Sen. Royce West (D) said, according to CBS DFW.
The two GOP-sponsored voting bills, Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 3, which are scheduled for Saturday committee hearings, have been criticized by Senate Democrats, who have said that the measures would limit voting access by requiring an ID for mail-in voting, banning late-night voting and implementing harsher penalties for voter fraud, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Democrats also allege that the Republican bills would reduce the hours polls are open to suppress voting. However, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) knocked down that assertion and said voting hours would be lengthened, not shortened.
“There’s nothing in Senate Bill One, nothing that restricts people from voting. Nothing,” Patrick said, according to the local CBS affiliate.
HB 3 would allow early voting on most days could occur between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Senate bill would have polling locations open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. everyday.
West, the primary author of the Democrat's bill, said the legislation was unlikely to receive a hearing but that Senate Democrats had a goal of showing the difference between their bill and the two GOP voting bills.
"In all probability, we won't get a hearing" West said, according to the American-Statesman. "I doubt very seriously, but we are going to be pushing for it to get a hearing."
Patrick said that all lawmakers want their bill to receive a hearing but that all pieces of legislation will not be granted one due to time constraints in the 30-day-long special session.
“We’re always willing to listen," he said. "But these proposals so far have been rejected and we’re going with Senate Bill One, which is very close to in fact, a little better than Senate Bill 7. So that’s the bill we’re going to pass.”
This comes after Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed funding for the state legislature last month after Democratic lawmakers staged a walkout at a legislative session in May to prevent the GOP-controlled House from having the 100-member quorum needed to vote on an election integrity bill.