Election integrity or voter suppression? 5 things to know about Texas’ voting bill

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Thursday, July 15, 2021

Early voting by mail

An election worker prepares to put filled-in ballots into a vote counting machine at the Denver Elections Division headquarters in downtown Denver October 25, 2012. | REUTERS/Rick Wilking

The proposed legislation modifies the rules on mail-in voting, including a ban on early voting clerks soliciting “a person to complete an application for an early voting ballot by mail, whether directly or through a third party.”

This solicitation ban came in response to Harris County officials attempting to send 2 million such solicitations last September before the 2020 election, an action that was stopped by the Texas Supreme Court.

Additionally, an early voting application must include either “the number of the applicant’s driver’s license, election identification certificate, or personal identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety,” “the last four digits of the applicant’s social security number” if not issued any of the aforementioned means of identification, or an official statement clarifying that the applicant received none of these items.

“A person may use the number of a driver ’s license, election identification certificate, or personal identification card that has expired for the purpose of fulfilling the requirement … if the license or identification is otherwise valid,” added the bill.