Justice Department Sues Texas Over New Election Law; 'Will Disenfranchise Citizens'
WASHINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - The Justice Department filed suit Thursday against the State of Texas and the Texas Secretary of State over parts of the new Texas voting bill signed into law by Governor Abbott in September.
In the complaint, the DOJ alleges the law, "will disenfranchise eligible Texas citizens who seek to exercise their right to vote, including voters with limited English proficiency, voters with disabilities, elderly voters, members of the military deployed away from home, and American citizens residing outside of the country."
"These vulnerable voters already confront barriers to the ballot box," the Justice Department said, "and SB 1 will exacerbate the challenges they face in exercising their fundamental right to vote."
Before it was signed into law, the legislation had drawn criticism from Democrats for being too restrictive.
In a tweet Thursday night, Governor Abbott had this response to the lawsuit.
"Bring it. The Texas election integrity law is legal," he said. "It increases hours to vote. It does restrict illegal mail ballot voting. Only those who qualify can vote by mail. It also makes ballot harvesting a felony. In Texas it is easier to vote but harder to cheat."