Texas Senate passes GOP voting reform bill

The Texas state Senate passed a sweeping voting reform bill on Sunday that would create new criminal penalties and tighten nontraditional ballot methods.

The bill, SB-7, cleared the Senate by an 18-13 margin following closed-door overnight deliberations and would prohibit 24-hour voting drive-thru polling places, which were two practices employed by the blue stronghold of Harris County during the 2020 presidential election. The legislation would also make it a crime for local leaders to send mail-in ballot applications to those who did not request them, and the proposal would also require more identification for absentee and mail-in voters.