More than two dozen civil and voting rights groups expressed concern over three new bills that may “limit and discourage participation in the voting process.” The bills were heard by House members earlier today.
One bill in question, HB 2093, would roll back early voting from 12 days to six days with an optional Sunday. Florida, the coalition notes, similarly cut early voting days in 2011 and “the results were long lines and frustration of voters and election workers” during the 2012 presidential election, not to mention “widespread media criticism.”
House Bill 2372 would implement a potentially problematic voter list purging procedure while HB 2848 would permit videotaping of early voting sites, which not only inhibits the “long held expectation that voting is a confidential and personal act,” but also “may be in violation of federal law because it could be considered a form of intimidation and coercion.”
Read the coalition’s letter here.
UPDATE: House Bill 2093 is now off the table. Bill sponsor Patricia Harris R-Houston says she will pull the proposal to cut early voting days and instead opt for a study after the bill faced “staunch criticism” at today’s hearing, according to Houston Chronicle blog, Texas Politics.