Some Texas lawmakers are looking to increase the penalty for illegal voting, and a bill to do that is one step further in the Texas Senate. But critics say, this is going too far when there could be innocent mistakes.
With fighting election fraud being a top priority for Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Texas bill making election fraud a felony this week cleared a key committee.
Texas Senate Bill 2 would change state law, again making voting illegally a felony in Texas.
“We just want to make sure the laws do their job and deter crime, and hold people accountable when they do break the law,” said Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who authored the bill.
In 2021, the Texas Legislature made illegal voting a misdemeanor, and Hughes says he wants to restore the penalty to what it had been.
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At a committee hearing Monday, witnesses spoke both for and against the bill. Opponents say it goes too far. Gary Bledsoe, President of the Texas Chapter of the NAACP, is opposed.
“I think it is really an abomination,” said Bledsoe, who says it could turn minor mistakes into serious felonies. “It will have a chilling effect on African Americans and Latinos who understand that they are likely to become the next Hervis Rogers or the next Crystal Mason."
North Texan Crystal Mason was sentenced to five years in jail after voting illegally. She filled out a provisional ballot while under supervised release at the time. She said she did not know she was not eligible to vote.
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Hughes says the bill is not racially motivated. “This bill applies across the board to everyone,” said Hughes.
By a 7 to 3 vote, the committee voted for the bill advancing it for a full vote on the Senate floor. The Texas House must approve identical legislation.
