Running Head: Texas Government and Politics Essay 3 1
Texas Government and Politics Essay 3
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Texas Government and Politics Essay 3 2
Texas Government and Politics Essay 3
Introduction
An election is the foundation of democracy whereby citizen gets the authority to elect leaders
and determine policies. However, several legislative changes that have been implemented
recently have drawn attention to the fact that the battle for equal voting rights remains an
ongoing one. The Freedom to Vote Act presents an apparent attempt to dismantle certain defects
of the electoral process in the United States, focusing specifically on factors that suppress the
vote of minorities and economically vulnerable citizens. On the other hand, there has been an
outbreak of voter suppression bills in the state of Texas, and some of them include Senate Bill 1
and House Bill 6. These measures contrast with practices in more liberal states that have adopted
equality to vote for everyone. This essay addresses the six questions concerning the purpose of
the Freedom to Vote Act, introduce the Texas anti-voting bills and compare the voting laws in
Texas to other states.
The Importance of the Passage of the Freedom to Vote Act
The passing of the Freedom to Vote Act is crucial as it aims to correct multiple systematic flaws
present in the current electoral system of the United States, mainly concerning minority and
economically vulnerable populations. This omnibus law aims at reforming voting procedures in
the states in a way that all qualified individuals are provided with equal opportunities to vote
(Abrams et al., 2020). Some recommendations include: pre-registration of voters, fourteen days
of early voting, and election day as a holiday. By eliminating obstacles to the voting process, the
act is expected to increase the voter turnout, which is central to forming a solid democracy.
Moreover, it deals with another evil of manipulating representation through gerrymandering by
creating independent commissions that draw district maps. It also has mechanisms that help to
limit the use of big money in political campaigns, making them more transparent. Therefore, the
Texas Government and Politics Essay 3 3
Freedom to Vote Act is a crucial bill that seeks to safeguard democracy and the ability to vote for
all citizens of the United States.
Voter Suppression Bills Passed in Texas
Some of the states that have enacted new restrictive voting laws include Texas, with several bills
enshrined in recent years which are considered as voter suppression mechanisms, especially in
the minority and marginalized communities. For instance, SB 1 tightens identification
requirements for mail-in voting, reduces the number of drop boxes, and bans drive-through and
24-hour voting, which some cities with significant numbers of minorities implemented during
the 2020 election. HB 25 did away with straight-ticket voting which freed voters to select
candidates from one ticket with a single check, a process that favored voters in large urban
counties with long ballots. Another critical measure is House Bill 6 (HB 6) enhances prohibitions
on election workers and imposes new criminal penalties for conduct like helping voters at polling
places. These laws all together make it difficult to vote especially for the underrepresented
groups, thus going against the democratic policy of equality when it comes to voting.
How Texas Compares to Other States
Texas has some of the most stringent voting requirements in the United States; much stricter
requirements than are present in other progressive states. For example, Oregon and Colorado
counties have adopted mail-in voting for all voters, thereby eliminating the need to deal with the
challenges associated with in-person voting. Furthermore, states including California and New
York allow for same-day registration and have less strict ID rules in order to make voting more
inclusive. However, Texas imposed restrictive voter ID laws and new laws like SB 1 and HB 6,
which indicates a shift toward reducing voting access and adding bureaucratic procedures for
voters and election staff. More to the point, while many states have extended early voting periods
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and the use of drop boxes, Texas has gone out of its way to limit these rights (Jillson, 2019).
These disparities reflect a larger context of voting rights and electoral democracy in the United
States wherein Texas is frequently referenced as a state where it is progressively easier to vote.
Conclusion
The Freedom to Vote Act is one of the most significant bills intended to provide equal
opportunities to vote and bolster democracy in America. In Texas, however, the recent passed
voter suppression bills have made voting almost impossible for the members of the minority and
other marginalized groups proving that the problem of holding fair elections still exists. Senate
Bill 1 and House Bill 6 put in place measures that restrict the voting rights of these groups in a
way that is markedly different from the more liberal states of Oregon and Colorado. Such
restrictions in Texas raise questions of voting access across the United States, which calls for
federal intervention. It is crucial for democracy that all people who have the right to vote can
freely influence the electoral process. Divisions between states have laid bare the
necessity of full federal voting rights legislation, adequately guaranteeing
fair and accessible elections for all citizens of the United States.
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Reference
Jillson, C. (2019).>Texas Politics: Governing the Lone Star State. Routledge.
Abrams, S., Anderson, C., Kruse, K. M., Richardson, H. C., & Thompson, H. A. (2020).>Voter
suppression in US elections. University of Georgia Press.
