Texas Republicans added a requirement that registrars who receive notice from a voter who has moved must forward that notice to the registrar of the new county where the voter now lives.
A similar provision requires the Texas secretary of state to use Department of Motor Vehicles records-driver's license information-to "Verify the accuracy of citizenship status information previously provided on voter registration applications." In other words, if an individual provides documentation showing he is not a U.S. citizen when he obtained a Texas driver's license, he obviously should not be registered to vote since both state and federal law bars aliens from voting.
To protect the privacy of voters, the bill directs the secretary of state to promulgate rules preventing local election officials who review early ballots or do signature verification on absentee ballots "From retaining or sharing personally identifiable information [on voters] from the statewide computerized voter registration list for any reason unrelated to the official's" duties.
Texas even added a provision saying that if a voter is in line at the time the polls officially close, he is still entitled to vote.
What is wrong with wanting to periodically check to make sure that all eligible voters can vote and that elections are conducted fairly and securely? Transparency is a hallmark of secure elections and is important in maintaining public confidence in the process.
Texas provides a free ID to anyone who doesn't already have one and has an exception for anyone who had a "Reasonable impediment" that prevented them from obtaining the free ID. The new ID requirement requires a voter applying for an absentee ballot to include the serial number of his driver's license or his free nondriver photo ID. If he doesn't have either of those IDs, the voter can simply include the last four digits of his Social Security number.
No member of the public with any common sense would think this voter ID requirement, or any of the other provisions in the bill, are "Restrictive" or will prevent an eligible person from voting.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to discern fact from fiction, and unfortunately the media has a strong bias. They spin stories to make conservatives look bad and will go to great lengths to avoid reporting on the good that comes from conservative policies. There are a few shining lights in the media landscape-brave conservative outlets that report the truth and offer a different perspective. We must support conservative outlets like this one and ensure that our voices are heard.
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