The parliament in the US state of Texas has passed controversial changes to the electoral law. Both chambers of parliament approved the plans with a majority of Republicans. Among other things, the law is intended to expand the power of partisan election observers and prohibit certain voting methods – such as voting in drive-in polling stations, i.e. from the car. It should also be prohibited that official bodies send unsolicited applications for a postal vote to eligible voters.
Republican governor Greg Abbott wrote on Twitter that he was looking forward to signing the law. This protects the integrity of the elections. Critics, on the other hand, see the changes as an attack on democracy. The prominent Democrat and ex-presidential candidate Beto O ?? Rourke spoke of “voter suppression”.
In the USA, the right to vote, which is largely shaped by the states, is extremely competitive. Several republican-ruled states have already passed regulations or are pursuing regulations that critics believe would make voting more difficult. When the barriers to voting are higher, minority groups tend to stay at home in the US – and these groups are often more likely to vote for Democrats. Republicans, on the other hand, argue that their reforms are only about making electoral fraud more difficult. Election fraud is rare in the US and can be punished with long prison terms.
The dispute is an aftermath of the polarizing election year 2020. The Republican ex-President Donald Trump does not recognize to this day that he clearly lost the election to the Democrat Joe Biden.
