The Lone Star state has been slapped with another lawsuit.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas and the Texas Secretary of State over parts of SB1—a newly passed election/voter law that has sparked outcry among Democrats.
The legislation, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in September, makes a number of changes to Texas’ election procedures. These include amendments to the type of assistance provided to voters with disabilities, a ban on drive-thru and 24-hour early voting, as well as stricter requirements for mail-in ballots, which will be rejected over “immaterial errors and omissions.”
The DOJ argued some of the provisions are clear violations of the federal Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“The challenged provisions will disenfranchise eligible Texas citizens who seek to exercise their right to vote, including voters with limited English proficiency, voters with disabilities, elderly voters, members of the military deployed away from home, and American citizens residing outside of the country,” the DOJ’s lawsuit read. “These vulnerable voters already confront barriers to the ballot box, and SB 1 will exacerbate the challenges they face in exercising their fundamental right to vote.”
The DOJ is asking a judge to block parts of SB1 from taking effect. Gov. Abbott responded to the complaint via Twitter on Thursday, insisting the changes are legal and beneficial for the State of Texas.
