Sinclair Broadcast Group/KATV: The new Texas voting law: What it does and does not do

WASHINGTON (SBG) — A monthslong battle over a controversial Texas voting law came to an end Tuesday as Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1, cementing changes that Republicans in the state maintain will bolster election integrity despite complaints by Democrats that they unduly restrict voting access.

The bill is one of many advanced by Republican-controlled state legislatures this year amid unsubstantiated assertions by former President Donald Trump that the 2020 election was rife with fraud. Democratic legislators fled Texas for weeks to block its passage, but it was promptly approved after they returned. …

Republicans argue those initiatives overstepped local officials’ authority and should not be repeated beyond the unique circumstances of the 2020 election. Democrats say they made voting more convenient for those who work long hours or have difficulties getting to traditional polling places.

“Rather than making it easier for Texans to vote for elected leaders who will prioritize our health and safety above their political ambitions, Governor Abbott has just attempted to silence voters from being heard in the next election,” said Stephanie Gomez, associate director of Common Cause Texas, one of the organizations suing over the new law.