New ballot-harvesting bill to prevent voter fraud stirs partisan tensions in the Lone Star State

Democracy, elections, and voting at Democracy Chronicles

On Friday, Texas Republicans successfully passed House Bill 184, a measure meant to eliminate “ballot-harvesting” by limiting the number of ballots that can be mailed each election to 10 per person.

Ballot-harvesting refers to politically intentioned individuals, working alone or in a group, who collect completed early ballots from elderly or disabled voters. The bill has riled party tensions within the House, with Republicans pointing out the high potential for voter fraud under such a practice. Democrats, however, argue that the measure only serves to limit those trying to assist the handicapped.

mysanantonio.com quotes Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu on the issue:

“You are creating a law that would make being a Good Samaritan criminal…If you had a Boy Scout who said, ‘I’m going to make sure every citizen in my retirement area gets to vote,’ that Boy Scout is getting 30 days in the county jail.”