Justice Department Sues Texas Over New Voting Law That Will 'Disenfranchise' Voters
The US Justice Department (DOJ) is suing Texas over the state’s new voting law, known as
SB1, which was signed into law on
September 7. The federal government says the law
disenfranchises voters and is in violation of federal voting rights laws.
The
two key provisions the Justice Department claims violate federal voting laws are
restrictions on voter assistance at the voting booth and a requirement to
reject mail-in ballots in certain situations.
The DOJ believes that limiting voter assistance at the voting booth will disproportionately
hurt voters with limited English proficiency, particularly as 27% of Texas residents speak Spanish. They also argue that a provision to reject mail-in ballots with “immaterial errors and omissions” will
harm voters with disabilities, the elderly, members of the military deployed out of state, and American citizens residing outside of the country.
