Texas Public Radio: Texas election officials blame new voting law for rise in rejected mail-in ballot applications
Texas Public Radio: Texas election officials blame new voting law for rise in rejected mail-in ballot applications
With COVID-19 cases on the rise and the March primary fast approaching, county officials across the state are rejecting a high number of applications submitted by voters who wish to vote by mail instead of going to the polls.
The issue centers on new requirements passed by state lawmakers last year during the 87th Texas Legislature and the special sessions that followed. Senate bill 1, by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, ushered in sweeping changes to election procedures, including what information must be included on an application for a mail-in ballot.
The law requires that applications include a potential voter’s driver’s license numbers or Social Security information. That information must match the data on the person’s previously-submitted voting record. Critics of the provision say most people don’t remember which number they used when originally registering.
In Bexar County, 42 of the 80 ballot applications received Thursday were rejected, Bexar County Elections administrator Jacque Callanen told Texas Public Radio. And roughly half of Travis County’s mail-in ballot applications for the March primary election have been rejected, KUT reported Thursday.
Many who spoke out against SB 1 before it passed said the legislation was designed to disenfranchise voters. Now, they say the high number of rejected ballots proves that’s exactly what is happening. …
State watchdog groups are also weighing in, and are urging voters to be more proactive this election cycle.
“As things stand now, about half of those voters are being blocked from having their voices heard,” Stephanie Gomez, the associate director at Common Cause Texas, said in a statement. “If this isn’t fixed, this single provision of SB 1 could block up to a half-million Texans from voting by mail this year.”
“In the meantime, we urge all Texans to be your own advocates for your freedom to vote,” added Gomez. “While the politicians in charge are determined to make it as hard as possible to vote, Common Cause Texas is ramping up our Texas-sized election protection to ensure our communities can make their voice heard at the ballot box.”