The Voting Rights Lab made critical updates to its report, A Tale of Two Democracies, first released in June and updated in September, demonstrating how a wave of state legislation on voting rights and election administration is transforming our democracy, creating a...
Voting Rights Lab
A Threat to Our Democracy: Election Subversion in the 2021 Legislative Session
2021 has been a historic year for voting rights, with some discouraging setbacks occurring in state legislatures across the country. From Texas to Florida to Georgia, millions of voters have watched as state lawmakers around the country erect new and unnecessary...
The Freedom to Vote Act: National Context
Among its provisions, the Freedom to Vote Act would create nationwide standards for early voting, mail voting, voting restoration, voter identification, and voter registration. Below is a summary of how each of these provisions would change existing state law across...
Texas Should Enact Common Sense Reforms to Modernize Election Systems and Maximize Voter Freedom
Texas has an opportunity to upgrade its election process to provide eligible voters increased freedom in how they register, vote, and assure their vote is counted while also supporting the integrity of Texas elections by providing uniform and consistent access for...
Texas Bills Enacted Following the Regular Legislative Session
The following bills were signed by Governor Abbott following the regular legislative session. Bills that share provisions from versions of the omnibus Senate Bill 7, as passed by either chamber, are noted: Anti-Voter Bills HB 574 - creates a 2nd degree felony offense...
Comparison of Contents of Texas Senate Bill 7 as Passed by Each Chamber
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS IN EACH VERSION As amended and passed by the House on second reading in the early morning hours of May 7, 2021, and passed finally following third reading on May 7, 2021, SB 7: Threatens election officials with criminal prosecution for enacting...
From the Polls to Prison: A New Front in the War Against Voting Rights
The biennial Texas legislative session, concluding at the end of the month, has seen lawmakers open up a new front in the ongoing national war for voter suppression. Legislators have proposed numerous bills seeking to create or raise criminal penalties for actions by...
The For the People Act
Download our brief on H.R.1/S.1 here. H.R.1/S.1 protects our freedom to vote Better in-person voting On Election Day for the 2020 general election, around 30% of likely voters took at least 30 minutes to vote. About 15% (more than 8 million voters) took an hour or...
COVID-19 and States of Emergency
The resources below detail the steps taken by state and local officials to prepare for the 2020 elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. State and Local Response Database Throughout 2020, we tracked state and local responses to the pandemic – a mix of executive orders,...
Protecting Against Polling Place Consolidation and Poll Worker Shortages
Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen a variety of election related disasters during the primary elections – from massive polling place closures resulting in long lines to poll worker shortages and absentee ballots not arriving on time. As we approach the final two months before the presidential general election, election officials across the country are frantically scrambling to finalize their in-person polling locations.