Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2021

CONTACT: press@secure-democracy.org

Secure Democracy Lauds Texas Legislature on Passage of H.B. 1382 to Improve Election Integrity, Transparency Through Ballot Tracking

While Outcome of S.B. 7 Conference Committee Still Uncertain, State Leaders Deliver Ballot Tracking, Providing Transparency to Voters

Austin, Texas— Legislation that would allow voters and election officials to track the progress of mail ballots online is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk after receiving bipartisan support in the Texas House and Senate. House Bill 1382 (Rep. Bucy) would create an internet portal to let voters track their mail ballots.

“There’s broad-based support among Texas voters across the political spectrum for common sense reforms like H.B. 1382, and we thank Rep. John Bucy and Sen. Bryan Hughes for leading the charge on this bill in the House and Senate. Thanks to their work, Texas will join the ranks of 45 other states that provide a statewide system to allow voters to track their mail ballots, and every Texas voter will have the confidence that their ballot has been counted,” said Sarah Walker, executive director of Secure Democracy.

Current technology allows election officials to provide real-time information concerning the status of a voter’s ballot application and the location of a voter’s ballot to provide reassuring transparency for everyone involved in the election process. A Secure Democracy statewide poll of Texas voters found that 83% of all Texas voters - including 75% of Republican voters - support using an electronic ballot tracking system for mail-in ballots.

Both the Texas House Elections Committee and Senate State Affairs Committee unanimously supported HB 1382, and the bill received near unanimous support in both chambers.

While the passage of H.B. 1382 is a positive reform and one that delivers transparency for Texas voters, the omnibus election bill S.B. 7 and nine additional standalone bills that remain active in the Legislature today would layer on restrictions for Texas elections and voters.

“We know a bipartisan majority of Texas voters believe Texas’ elections already work well; so, we urge state lawmakers to avoid unnecessary changes to Texas election laws that limit voter access to the polls,” said Walker.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

There is widespread opposition to additional voting restrictions in Texas.

  • Texas Republican pollster Chris Perkins, partner at Ragnar Research, said in an op-ed: “As long as Texas elections are grounded in accountability and transparency, voters are strongly on board with making it easier to cast a ballot before and on Election Day.”

  • The Coalition of Texans with Disabilities opposes S.B. 7 and says: “In 2021, the Legislature should enable a mail-in ballot format that is accessible to all eligible voters, as well as address the state's faulty policies around mail-in ballot signature verification and ensure that voters have an opportunity to cure their ballot before an election, if a discrepancy is found.”

  • AARP Texas, in written testimony opposing S.B. 7, said: “AARP maintains that, as introduced, SB 7 imposes that heavier burden and will result in disproportionate and unnecessary risks of disenfranchising older voters in Texas. Specific concerns include, but are not limited to, Article 2 (Vote By Mail- VBM) provisions of the bill.”

  • More than 175 members of the Greater Houston Partnership called on GHP and state lawmakers to oppose several key provisions of the voting bills being debated in the Texas Legislature, noting the legislation would create unacceptable barriers for Houston-area residents to cast a ballot.

  • Fair Texas Elections, a coalition of businesses and chamber organizations, released a statement of principles opposing any legislation that would restrict voter access to the ballot. Signers include Microsoft, HP, American Airlines, Patagonia, Salesforce, Unilever and others.

  • American Airlines, in a media statement issued April 1, 2021, said: “Earlier this morning, the Texas State Senate passed legislation with provisions that limit voting access. To make American’s stance clear: We are strongly opposed to this bill and others like it. As a Texas-based business, we must stand up for the rights of our team members and customers who call Texas home, and honor the sacrifices made by generations of Americans to protect and expand the right to vote.”

  • R Street, a national research organization supporting free markets and limited government, said in written testimony opposing S.B. 7: “We should not be focused on limiting pathways to voting or restricting local control. Instead, we should do the opposite, which is why it is critical that the Legislature amend or oppose SB 7.”

  • The Business Roundtable, in a media statement issued March 31, 2021, said: “Unnecessary restrictions on the right to vote strike at the heart of representative government. Business Roundtable members believe state laws must safeguard and guarantee the right to vote."

  • Dell founder Michael Dell opposes Texas voting restrictions, tweeting on April 1, 2021: “Governments should ensure citizens have their voices heard. HB6 does the opposite, and we are opposed to it.”

  • Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a media statement issued April 1, 2021, said: “Apple believes that, thanks in part to the power of technology, it ought to be easier than ever for every eligible citizen to exercise their right to vote. We support efforts to ensure that our democracy’s future is more hopeful and inclusive than its past.”

A Secure Democracy statewide poll of Texas voters, conducted by leading Republican pollster Chris Perkins of Ragnar Research Partners, found widespread support for voter access and opposition to the threat of criminal penalties that minimize voter assistance:

  • Necessary assistance returning ballots: 81% of all voters support; 75% of Republican voters support

  • Threatening felony prosecution for an accidental vote: 61% of all voters oppose, 51% of Republican voters oppose

  • Threatening felony prosecution for providing assistance: 62% of voters said no to felony charge; 73% said no to felony charge for assisting more than three voters

​​​​​​​The poll also found strong bipartisan support for policies and legislation that increase accessibility and accountability within the Texas election system:

  • Extending early voting by one week: 73% of all voters support; 58% of Republican voters support

  • Increasing number of polling locations: 84% of all voters support; 80% of Republican voters support

  • Using an electronic ballot tracking system for mail-in ballots: 83% of all voters support; 75% of Republican voters support

  • Conducting regular voter roll audits: 91% of all voters support; 94% of Republican voters support

  • Investigating before canceling voter registration: 84% of all voters support; 86% of Republican voters support

A Secure Democracy analysis of Texas Secretary of State data from the 2020 general election found that restricting access to absentee and early voting options could largely disenfranchise Republican voters:

  • Fewer than 1 in 5 Texas Republicans voted on Election Day. Instead, 64% of Texas Republicans voted early and 23% of Texas Republicans voted by mail;

  • Republicans cast 54% of all early votes in the 2020 general election in Texas;

  • Republicans cast half (50%) of all mail votes in the 2020 general election in Texas;

  • More than 4 million voters aged 55 or older voted early or by mail in Texas, as opposed to 426,000 voters casting their ballot on Election Day. Among all Republican voters aged 55 or older in Texas, 91% voted early or by mail in 2020. Among rural older adults in Texas, 67% voted early or by mail in 2020;

  • More than 6 in 10 (62%) of Republican active duty military or veteran voters in Texas voted early, nearly 3 in 10 (29%) of Republican active duty military or veteran voters in Texas voted absentee; and fewer than 1 in 10 (8%) of Republican active duty military or veteran voters in Texas voted on Election Day; and

  • 69% of Republican donors cast early votes and 25% voted by mail statewide.

Similarly, a Secure Democracy analysis of Secretary of State data from the 2020 primary election found primary voters in Texas were also reliant on early and mail voting in 2020:

  • Only 4 in 10 Republican primary voters voted on Election Day;

  • 54% of total Republican primary votes were cast early; and

  • Republicans cast 57% of all early votes in the 2020 primary election, compared to 37% of early votes cast by Democrats.

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About Secure Democracy

Secure Democracy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to improve election integrity across the United States. We educate policymakers and the public about what it takes to safeguard our voting systems. We collaborate with state leaders, election administrators, election integrity experts, and allies to ensure that all eligible citizens have the freedom to vote how they choose.