Critics Fume as Gov. Abbott Signs SB-1 Making Voting Easier and Cheating Harder

AUSTIN – Texas Governor Greg Abbott Tuesday signed the bill into law that drove House Democrats out of the state and gave liberal media sources endless story lines about what they all agreed was voter suppression.  

In the end, Republicans in the House and Senate prevailed and Gov. Abbott signed the bill into law Tuesday.  

Governor Greg Abbott today signed Senate Bill 1 into law, which will uphold the integrity of elections in Texas. The Governor held the bill signing ceremony in Tyler, where he was joined by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and the authors of the bill — Senator Bryan Hughes and Representative Andrew Murr. 
 
Governor Abbott made election integrity an emergency item during the 87th Legislative Session and placed it on the agendas for the first and second special sessions. 
 
"Senate Bill 1 ensures trust and confidence in our elections system — and most importantly, it makes it easier to vote and harder to cheat," said Governor Abbott. "Safe and secure elections are critical to the foundation of our state, and I thank Senator Hughes and Representative Murr for their leadership on this important issue. I am proud to sign Senate Bill 1 into law to uphold the integrity of our elections in Texas."
 
Senate Bill 1 creates uniform statewide voting hours, maintains and expands voting access for registered voters that need assistance, prohibits drive-through voting, and enhances transparency by authorizing poll watchers to observe more aspects of the election process. The bill also bans the distribution of unsolicited applications for mail-in ballots and gives voters with a defective mail-in ballot the opportunity to correct the defect.