Gov. Abbott’s push for ‘election integrity’ prompts fears of restricting Texas voters
Gov. Greg Abbott condemned drive-thru voting and efforts to expand voting by mail in response to the coronavirus pandemic during the 2020 election as he called for laws that support “election integrity,” one of his emergency items for Texas legislators.
“Our objective is very simple, and that is to ensure that every eligible voter gets to vote,” Abbott said, appearing in Houston for a Monday news conference. “It’s also to ensure that only eligible votes are the ones that count at the ballot box.”
Abbott acknowledged he was not aware of any election outcomes being altered in 2020 due to fraud. But he maintained election fraud exists, noting the he prosecuted such cases when he was Texas attorney general. He called election integrity necessary to “protect the fabric of our democracy.”
Despite outcry from some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, experts have said the 2020 election was the most secure in history and there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
“I don’t know how many or if any elections in the state of Texas in 2020 were altered because of voter fraud,” Abbott said, answering questions from reporters. “What I can tell you is this, and that is, any voter fraud that takes place sows seeds of distrust in the election process.”
In response to COVID-19, Texas extended its in-person early voting window during the Nov. 3 general election. Counties across the state took steps to keep voters safe as they headed to the ballot box, such as more sanitizing and social distancing guidelines. Counties also could use drop off sites for mail-in ballots — though the Texas Supreme Court limited counties to just one. Attempts to expand mail-in voting to all Texans were ultimately unsuccessful.
Despite the pandemic and legal battles related to voting, nearly 67% of Texas’ registered voters turned out, surpassing turnout for the 2016 and 2012 presidential elections.
Abbott was joined by state Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, and Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston. Cain on Friday filed a broad bill addressing elections, including one measure that would set guidelines limiting the removal of poll watchers. The bill also makes it a crime for public officials to send a vote-by-mail application to people who didn’t request one.
A proposal in the Senate includes a provision that prohibits polling places in tents or another “temporary moveable structure or in a facility primarily designed for motor vehicles.” Curbside voting would still be allowed for those physically unable to enter a polling place. Bettencourt also advocated that polls be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across the board.
As COVID-19 spread across the state, Harris County turned to drive-thru polling places. The county also tried to send vote-by-mail applications to all registered voters, but the effort was blocked by the Texas Supreme Court.
Abbott singled out Harris County, the state’s most populous county, when he said, “we must pass laws to prevent election officials from jeopardizing the election process.”
Texas Democrats and voting advocates said the state should work to increase access to the polls, not restrict it. During a Monday news conference, Democratic lawmakers called for online voter registration and polling places on college campus with at least 8,000 students.
State Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth called allegations of widespread voter fraud a myth and said Abbott is trying to distract from the power failure during February’s winter storm.
It is also important to acknowledge the “racist history of the laws on our books that make it hard for our communities of color to vote,” said Collier, who chairs Texas Legislative Black Caucus.
“This is another Republican effort in a long war to disenfranchise voters, specifically voters of color,” Collier said during a Monday news conference responding to Abbott’s.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Chris Turner, D- Grand Prairie, said leaders must accept election results “when things don’t go your way.”
“If Gov. Abbott wants to talk about election integrity, he should start with this: When voters have spoken, respect the results,” Turner said.
This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 4:54 PM.
