LWVTX Blog

As the time gets shorter, the pace picks up at the Legislature. What specific bills will become law is still unclear, but the broad outlines of the goals this session are not in doubt: where Texans live matters, especially in elections. The impact of legislation preempting local ordinances is easy to see, but the impact of the preemption of local authority in elections is less so particularly for those who do not volunteer to register voters and serve as poll workers.

What does it mean to individual voters if the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) is successfully challenged in court (which is already happening in other states and is proposed here in Texas)? What does it mean to those voters if their local election administrator is fired by the Legislature or placed under the conservatorship of the Secretary of State? What difference does it make if local election workers are threatened with criminal penalties, or their elections are under constant audit?

The answers to these questions matter because the brunt of the impact will be felt in communities that already experience challenges: poor people, young people, and persons of color. But make no mistake, these bills apply to everyone, especially everyone who lives in a large population center. Without the NVRA, there is no voter registration at the DVM where most Texans register to vote; there is no protection from inaccurate and unnecessary purging of voter lists in the run up to an election; and nothing to stop states from burdening registration with needless requirements like documentary proof of citizenship.

As we know, inattention to detail and lack of resources is the prime reason for long lines at the polls. Placing election workers under constant strain by audits and fear of prosecution, as we have seen, leads to shortages of workers to run elections, shrinking the number of polling locations and increasing the inconvenience to voters. Takeover of election administration in a large jurisdiction by the state is more likely to cause problems than to solve problems.

Currently, there are bills too numerous to list that would, in the name of election integrity, cause all these problems. It is important that we keep reminding our representatives and our communities that voting is a right and our elections should be free, fair and accessible no matter where you live in Texas.