The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Texas Democratic Party, and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a lawsuit to overturn a ban on “mobile” early voting sites that serve Texans living near colleges and universities, and those without reliable access to transportation.
The restrictions were enacted as a part of HB 1888 and would reverse the rise in voter participation observed in the 2018 midterm elections, where turnout surged broadly and especially among youth voters compared to other midterms. In 2018, voter turnout rose by 18 percent over other midterm elections and the youth early vote rose by 508 percent compared to 2014 — a significant increase credited to early voting and the “mobile” or temporary sites that offered more voters the opportunity to cast their ballots.
“Mobile voting is an essential pillar of making voting more accessible to the many Texans who need expanded access to the polls the most,” said Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa. “Texas Republicans ending mobile voting is their latest attempt to curb the Democratic rise in the state and steal an election from the rising Texas electorate. Republicans know Texas is changing, that’s why they’re trying to change the rules to make it harder for college students, seniors, the disability community, rural Texans, and survivors of natural disasters to cast their ballots. Texas Democrats know we should be making it easier to vote, not harder. Democracy thrives when everyone participates. We thank the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for partnering with us and working to end this heinous assault to one of our most sacred rights.”
“The gains Texas made in boosting turnout prove that when we remove obstacles to voting, more people cast their ballots – and that’s a good thing,” said DSCC Chair Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. “We won’t stand by while others work to disenfranchise Texans who want to lawfully participate in our democracy and will fight to protect their rights as well as the integrity of the early voting program.”
“We won’t stand by while Republicans work overtime to undermine Texas voters’ ability to access the ballot, particularly elderly Texans, people with disabilities, and college students,” said DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos said. “I’m proud to take on this blatantly partisan attempt to shrink the electorate, and I look forward to the day when access to the ballot is treated like the universal American value that it absolutely must be.”
The legislation the lawsuit filed today seeks to overturn as received national attention as part of Republicans’ “efforts to suppress.” The Washington Post recently editorialized that the effectiveness of increasing voter turnout is exactly why “Texas Republicans shut them down.”
Read the complaint here.
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