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Blogs: Voting Rights & Election Law

Virtual Panel Offers 2021 Perspectives
By Cinde A Weatherby
Posted: 2021-10-04T00:59:00Z
LWVTX and LWV Austin Area brought together a panel to get multiple perspectives of voting rights and election law legislation considered in 2021 in the regular session and first two special sessions. Panelists covered the historical context; a legislator's viewpoint; a review by an elections administrator; and a preview of the follow-on legal challenges to legislation passed.

A recording of the September 26 session is now available on the LWVTX YouTube channel. It was my pleasure to moderate the panel. It's a great reflection of what can be achieved in a contentious atmosphere and the challenges ahead.

It features Harvey Kronberg, publisher of the Quorum Report; State Representative John Bucy; Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria; and ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Thomas Buser-Clancy. 

If you missed it, it is well-worth your time to review the past year's accomplishments and disappointments.

When recorded, there was no indication voting rights bills would be considered in Special Session #3. Nothing was in the Governor's call issued prior to the September 20 session start. That changed September 30, with an addition calling for increasing a penalty for "illegal voting." There is also the future possibility of another action calling for statewide scam reviews of the 2020 presidential ballots similar to those in Pennsylvania and Arizona. Bills on both subjects will be heard in the Senate State Affairs Committee the morning of October 4, even though the election review is not yet on the Governor's call.