Texas Governor Greg Abbott enacted a significant bill on Tuesday, further solidifying the state’s position against election fraud.
The recently passed legislation, called House Bill 1243, reinstates election fraud as a serious criminal offense, elevating it to a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Governor Abbott has expressed unwavering support for the new law and took to Twitter to announce its signing. In a tweet, he emphasized the gravity of the offense, stating, “I signed a law that makes election fraud a felony in Texas. Voting illegally can lead to a 20-year sentence. Don’t mess with Texas elections.”
According to the Dallas News, the classification of election fraud in Texas has experienced significant fluctuations in recent years. Not long ago, a Texas House initiative led by Republicans decided to downgrade the penalty for election fraud from a felony to a misdemeanor. This change was prompted by growing concerns about unintentional illegal voting.
However, the tide has now shifted once again, as lawmakers have chosen to reinstate the felony classification. The bill passed the House on April 28, 2023, with a vote of 88-60, and later received approval in the Senate with a vote of 19-11 on May 24. The law will officially take effect on September 1, 2023.
Representative Cole Hefner, the sponsor of the bill, has been vocal about the necessity of this law. He maintains that its primary objective is to enhance Texans’ confidence in the integrity of the voting process. Hefner said, “We must ensure that Texans are confident that the legitimate votes they cast will be counted and are not canceled out by someone who has knowingly or intentionally cast an illegal ballot.”
In the aftermath of the 2020 election, where Trump contested the results due to widespread fraud, there was an intensified push for comprehensive election laws. As a result, significant legislation was passed in 2021.
The 2021 law introduced several changes to the mail-in ballot process, including the implementation of additional voter ID checks.
The Gateway Pundit reported an incident involving Raquel Rodriguez, a consultant for GOP House candidate Mauro Garza, who was captured on camera engaging in activities where she coerced and bribed voters into voting for the Democratic Party.
Subsequently, Rodriguez openly acknowledges the illegality of her actions and boasts about rewarding an elderly voter with a lovely shawl in exchange for her Democrat vote.
Attorney General Ken Paxton made a public announcement regarding the arrest of Raquel Rodriguez on charges of election fraud, illegal voting, unauthorized assistance in mail-in voting, and unlawful possession of an official ballot. These charges stemmed from the revelations uncovered by Project Veritas.
Back in 2019, Texas Secretary of State David Whitley issued a voter fraud alert highlighting a concerning situation. It was revealed that 95,000 individuals, identified by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) as non-U.S. citizens, possessed a matching voter registration record in Texas. Shockingly, out of this group, approximately 58,000 individuals had participated in one or more elections within the state.
During the 2022 midterm election, a significant number of ballots, totaling over 16,000, were invalidated and rejected.
