Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

You are probably concerned about voter fraud. Maybe you think that the Texas legislature should do something about it. In fact, our legislators are in a special session right now debating new laws the Republican members say will help stop Texas voters from cheating on elections. The bills they propose would “…ban 24-hour voting and drivethrough voting; add new voter identification requirements for voting by mail; limit third-party ballot collection; increase the criminal penalties for election workers who run afoul of regulations; and greatly expand the authority and autonomy of partisan poll watchers” (New York Times).

The Republicans say this will stop voter fraud. Yet From 2015 to 2020, out of the tens of millions of Texans that voted, The Texas Attorney General’s office prosecuted just 55 people for voter fraud, that’s about eleven per year (Houston Chronicle). According to Bob Stein, Professor of Political Science at Rice University, 2020 was probably the most secure election in Texas history. Brandon Rottinghaus, Professor of Political Science at the University of Houston, wrote that “It’s as likely that a person would be struck by lightning or win an Academy Award as that you would find …a conviction of voter fraud.”

So, what’s going on? Republican leaders have stated they want to stop their opponents from voting, that means Democrats, lots of independents and especially Latinos and Blacks. Contact your state senator and representative, let them know not to mess with our precious right to vote.

Jerry Whitus

San Marcos