The League of Women Voters of Texas letter to Vice President Harris as presented by Senator Menendez on 6.16.21.
The League of Women Voters of Texas (LWVTX) is proud to stand with you and so many others
who are committed to ensuring that the right to vote remains a critical pillar in our democratic
form of government. Only when all voters have the opportunity to participate in a free, fair, and
accessible election can we truly call ourselves a representative democracy.
The right to vote in Texas is under attack. During the Texas legislative session which ended on
May 31, 2021, LWVTX tracked over 400 voting rights and election bills. Many of these bills
would have made voting in Texas even harder, especially for voters of color, low-income voters,
and the disabled. One comprehensive bill, SB 7, integrated many of these challenging
provisions, such as:
● further restrictions to voting by mail, including additional documentation, eliminating
ballot drop boxes and requiring that ballots be delivered by hand, requiring additional
information from those who assist voters, especially the elderly and the disabled, and
creating offenses if the forms are not properly completed;
● making it easier to overturn elections by only requiring that the alleged fraud could have
resulted in a win by the preponderance of evidence;
● undermining the authority of our election judges to keep order in a polling site by
allowing partisan poll watchers free movement, and threatening judges with criminal
penalties;
● Restricting the hours of early voting, including Sunday mornings.
In both the House and Senate, lawmakers tried to ram this legislation through their chambers by
bypassing normal operating rules and procedures. Although some lawmakers were able to
block the bill, Governor Greg Abbott immediately announced he would call a special session to
take up the legislation once more.
Our mission is empowering voters and defending democracy. To accomplish this mission, we
not only look to state laws but also to national efforts that support voting rights. We believe that
the For the People Act will improve American elections by making our election system more
free, fair, and accessible to all. Our organization has a rich history of working with Congress to
improve the election process on behalf of all voters.
Grace Chimene, President, League of Women Voters of Texas
Link to letter