WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the Texas legislature in a special session passing a broad anti-voter bill, Tom Lopach, President and CEO of the Voter Participation Center (VPC) and Center for Voter Information (CVI), released the following statement. Among its many anti-voting provisions, this bill bans drive-through and 24-hour voting and places limits on vote-by-mail, making it more difficult for Texans to vote.
“This bill is an all-out assault on our democracy and on Texas voters. In 2020’s election, Texans made their voices heard and voted in record numbers. We should be building on this success and keep fighting to make voting more accessible for eligible voters, not enacting new draconian barriers that make it more difficult for people of color and other historically disenfranchised voters to access the ballot box.
“We strongly condemn these anti-voter efforts, and we urge Governor Abbott to do the right thing for Texans and veto this bill. Elections should be a contest based on ideas, not on who is prevented from voting. At VPC/CVI, we will always keep fighting to empower voters and defend the right to vote.”
The Voter Participation Center and Center for Voter Information are non-profit, non-partisan organizations founded in 2003 to help members of the New American Majority – unmarried women, people of color and young people – register and vote. Since then, the organizations have helped 5.7 million people register and cast ballots.