The governor of Texas is being accused of implementing voter suppression in his state. Gov. Greg Abbott, a member of the Republican party, signed a new order that would limit mail-in ballot locations, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Starting on Oct. 1, Texas citizens will only have a few locations to hand-deliver their ballots.
Local officials in Texas say they plan to fight a new order from Gov. Greg Abbott to limit the number of places where voters can hand deliver mail-in ballots.
Abbott’s decision appears to mirror statements made by the current U.S. President, who has often made false claims about voter fraud. The governor revealed that voters can only deliver their ballots to a single clerk’s office location publicly designated by a county’s early voting clerk.
“The State of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our elections,” Abbott said in a statement. “As we work to preserve Texans’ ability to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must take extra care to strengthen ballot security protocols throughout the state. These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting.”
The change could particularly hurt large Democratic strongholds in Texas, such as Houston, which would normally have 12 locations for voters to drop off their ballots.
Some Democrats believe that Republicans are seeking to find ways to suppress votes because the presidential race remains close in Texas.
In a statement, Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said, “Republicans are on the verge of losing, so Gov. Abbott is trying to adjust the rules last minute. We are creating a movement that will beat them at the ballot box on November 3, and there’s nothing these cheaters can do about it.”
