Texas Gov. Abbott to Sign Election Integrity Bill Tuesday

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he would sign the election integrity bill S.B. 1. The announcement comes after fierce disagreement with Democrats over the legislation.

Abbott will travel to Tyler, Texas, to sign the "Election Integrity Protection Act of 2021" on Tuesday.

According to The Hill, supporters of the bill tout it as necessary to ensure fair elections while opponents of the legislation say it will make it harder for Democrat voters to cast their ballot. Last week a lawsuit was filed that said the bill would make it harder for people of color to vote.

The bill outlines, according to KHOU11, that it would ban drive-through and 24-hour voting. Additionally, the bill would set new hours for early voting. Voters who wish to vote early will now have access to the polls from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Those who wish to vote via mail-in voting will now be required to provide their drivers license number or the last four digits of their social security number for a mail-in ballot. Additionally, anyone who assists in filling out someone's ballot will now have to fill out a form designating their relationship to that person.

Also of note, partisan poll watchers will now have to undergo training and will be removed from the polling station if they violate the state's penal code. But they will still be able to move freely throughout the place of polling, just not near the voting box where the voter is filling out their ballot.

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