Republicans in Texas are continuing to pursue legislation in the hopes of improving election security while facing claims that voter fraud is not an issue, the Texas Tribune reports.
Senate Bill 7 (SB7), which limits early polling hours, prohibits drive-thru voting and makes it illegal for local election officials to send voting requests by mail, was recently passed by the Texas Senate on April 1.
"Overall, this bill is designed to address areas throughout the process where bad actors can take advantage, so Texans can feel confident that their elections are fair, honest and open," Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Tyler) told the Texas Tribune.
In a poll published by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), 81% "of Texans say voting in person and by mail should have the same voter identification requirements."
“To no one’s surprise, Texans continue to keep a close eye on legislative activities this year,” TPPF’s Chief Communications Officer Brian Phillips said in a release. “So far, it looks like attitudes about the session are generally positive, but Texans want to see significant action on election security, pandemic-related government reforms, and ensuring the lights stay on all the time. Increasingly moving to the forefront is the crisis at the border, which they expect federal officials to handle. But should the Biden administration continue to make things worse, Texans will want our state leaders to step in.”
The Texas Tribune reports that arguments in support of legislation similar to SB 7 are based on "concerns over widespread voter fraud for which there is little to no evidence." The Texas Tribune wrote that any instances of fraud were isolated and rare.
One 2020 case involves Kelly Reagan Brunner, a social worker at the Mexia State Supported Living Center in Limestone County.
According to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Brunner was indicted on 134 counts of alleged voter fraud and "acting as an agent" after submitting registration applications for 67 residents at the living center without proper consent. According to Texas law, Brunner has no legal right to act on their behalf.
"Registering citizens to vote or to obtain mail ballots without their consent is illegal. It is particularly offensive when individuals purport to be champions for disability rights, when in reality they are abusing our most vulnerable citizens in order to gain access to their ballots and amplify their own political voice," Paxton said. "My office is prepared to assist any Texas county in combating this insidious form of fraud."
In February 2021, Paxton's office also announced charges against Leonor Rivas Garza, Eva Ann Martinez and Tomas Ramirez "related to the 2018 Medina County Primary Election."
The AG's office stated the case was focused on "allegations of vote harvesting at assisted living centers in Medina County" during the 2018 election. Garza currently faces 17 charges, Ramirez faces 24 and Martinez faces 64.
Additionally, KSAT reports that campaign worker Raquel Rodriguez has been charged with four felonies in San Antonio because of video footage that allegedly showed that she gave voters gift bags for changing their votes.
Other cases of alleged voter fraud were found in Gregg County. County Commissioner Shannon Brown and three paid workers from her primary campaign were indicted on 134 counts of "election-related fraud and record tampering" in 2018 for charges of soliciting mail-in votes from able-bodied voters without consent and claiming them to be disabled.
