Texas Republicans wound down their regular legislative session Sunday by changing election policies for a single populous Democratic stronghold but not other parts of the state.
Critics are concerned about how the two bills affecting Harris County will interact with one another. One bill requires the county to change who oversees its elections starting Sept. 1, just weeks before Houston holds its election for mayor.
“If the secretary’s office was motivated to the extent that they really wanted to be very involved directly in election administration, I think that this bill does provide that opportunity,” said Daniel Griffith, the senior policy director for Secure Democracy, a nonprofit group focused on expanding access to voting.Republicans contended they needed to adjust how elections in Harris County are conducted because of past problems.
Republicans this year again directed their attention to changing election laws. One bill approved Sunday changes illegal voting from a misdemeanor to a felony with a penalty of as much as 20 years in prison. Illegal voting had long been a felony in Texas but lawmakers changed it to a misdemeanor in 2021 as part of that year’s overarching elections legislation.Illegal voting in Texas and elsewhere is rare.
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