see url:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/21/texas-voting-rights-restrictions-republicans
see full story...
Quote<<<
Texas Republicans are at the vanguard of a national push to curtail
voting rights, with lawmakers targeting the voters and policies that
helped Democrats make inroads in the 2020 election.
Texas legislators have introduced 49 bills restricting voting access,
far more than any other state, even as major Texas-based corporations
such as American Airlines express fervent opposition.
The sweeping provisions could deal an outsized blow to low-income
residents, people with disabilities, city dwellers and Texans of color,
many of whom belong to diverse, youthful cohorts whose political views
spell trouble for the GOP.
And, in a twist that differentiates Texas from other states such as
Georgia and Arizona that have instituted or are planning voting
restrictions, some of the proposals impose extreme penalties on people
who make even innocuous missteps.
The next Georgia: Texas and Arizona emerge as voting rights battlegrounds
Read more
“When you make making a mistake on a voter registration application a
second-degree felony, that’s the equivalent of arson and aggravated
kidnapping,” said Sarah Labowitz, policy and advocacy director for the
American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.
Conservative politicians have tried to justify the rollback by hiding
behind Donald Trump’s claim that last year’s presidential contest was
stolen – despite a complete lack of evidence, and even though their
party won handily in Texas.
Allegations of widespread voter fraud have almost become a “litmus test”
among Texas Republicans, said Juan Carlos Huerta, a professor of
political science at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi.
Conservatives’ political futures could hinge on whether their base
believes they are cracking down on the non-issue. And, as a new
generation of voters comes of age, the specious talking point provides
cover for politicians who can see that their party’s prospects may be
dimming.
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