The Texas governor pushes an 'outrageous act of voter suppression' as the race tightens

The Texas governor pushes an 'outrageous act of voter suppression' as the race tightens
By World Travel & Tourism Council - Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54703342

Greg Abbott

Frontpage news and politics

Texas is in play and Governor Greg Abbott is doing everything he can to make sure Republicans stay in power.

At least four congressional seats could flip to Democrats, and Joe Biden is tightening Donald Trump's lead. Today Trump is ahead of Biden by just 3.2 percentage points in the Real Clear Politics polling average.

Governor Abbott is taking action – to make it harder for Texans to vote.

He's just issued a proclamation cutting ballot drop off boxes to just one per county "to maintain the integrity of our elections," Abbott says, calling it his duty.

"The State of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our elections," Gov. Abbott says in his proclamation. "As we work to preserve Texans' ability to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must take extra care to strengthen ballot security protocols throughout the state. These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting."

There is no evidence of illegal voting, and no evidence reducing the number of ballot boxes would make a difference. If someone is determined to vote illegally, they'll find the ballot boxes. But a voter overwhelmed by the coronavirus and possibly out of work, finding it hard to put food on the table might not have the time to drive around their county looking for a ballot drop off box.

"The proclamation also requires early voting clerks to allow poll watchers to observe any activity conducted at the early voting clerk's office location related to the in-person delivery of a marked mail ballot," Abbott's press release reads.

Austin American-Statesman veteran reporter Chuck Lindell notes some counties are dropping from 12 ballot boxes to one.

DNC attorney Marc Elias warns Democrats are not taking this sitting down.

Understand the importance of honest news ?

So do we.

The past year has been the most arduous of our lives. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be catastrophic not only to our health - mental and physical - but also to the stability of millions of people. For all of us independent news organizations, it’s no exception.

We’ve covered everything thrown at us this past year and will continue to do so with your support. We’ve always understood the importance of calling out corruption, regardless of political affiliation.

We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, no matter the amount, makes a difference in allowing our newsroom to bring you the stories that matter, at a time when being informed is more important than ever. Invest with us.

Make a one-time contribution to Alternet All Access , or click here to become a subscriber . Thank you.

Click to donate by check .

DonateDonate by credit card
Donate by Paypal
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}
@2024 - AlterNet Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. - "Poynter" fonts provided by fontsempire.com.