Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) expanded the special session of Texas’s legislature, adding a possible ban on same-day voter registration to the agenda.
Texas currently doesn’t have same-day voter registration, with state law requiring registration 30 days in advance, making such a ban preemptive. The expanded agenda also concerns contracts with law enforcement.
On Monday, Abbott expanded the special session to include “legislation to prohibit same day voter registration in Texas,” and “legislation authorizing contracts with sheriffs and constables for the provision of law enforcement services and legislation relating to the appropriate or transfer of funds to or from a law enforcement agency,” his decree read.
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Same-day voter registration has become a major point of concern for Republicans, who fear it could lead to fraudulent voting. Nearly half of U.S. states and the District of Columbia offer same-day registration voting.
The Texas legislature is currently the center of national attention over Texas Republicans’ redistricting push, which would strip the Democrats of five House seats. Texas Democratic lawmakers fled the state in an effort to prevent the initiative from passing, triggering a standoff with state authorities.