April 19, 2021
We Are For Voting Rights!
The Texas Alliance for Retired Americans (TARA) needs you. We want you to help us fight Texas voter suppression. We oppose legislation (as in SB 7 and HB 6) that limits early-voting hours, creates new obstacles to voting by mail and voter registration, and prohibits convenient drop boxes and drive-through voting. We also oppose the promotion of disruption and intimidation at polling sites by partisan poll watchers.
TARA does support real election integrity—measures that would enhance every eligible voter’s opportunity to cast a ballot and participate in democracy. We support bills authorizing online voter registration (such as HB 350 by Israel) and a vote-by-mail option for everyone (such as HB400 by Bucy). We would salvage two SB 7 provisions that also appear in other bills and have broad bipartisan support, onerequiring an auditable paper trail and the other creating an online system to allow voters to check their voter status.
We want to prevent long lines at polling sites, provide voters with online access to voter status, and secure fair legislative and congressional districts.
Electronic Voter Registration. Make it easy to register to vote. Voters should not be required to print and mail a voter registration application.
Allow any eligible voter the right to vote by mail. Providing the option to vote by mail not only makes sense during a pandemic, it makes sense for all voters in every election.
Voting systems that provide a paper audit trail. Many Texas counties have switched to voting machines that provide a paper trail, but many others have not. TARA supports this safeguard for every county – all 254. An auditable paper trail allows for an accurate recount if needed.
Empower voters with information. Create online systems for voters to check the status of their voter registration, application to vote by mail, and receipt of a mail ballot.
Redistrict fairly. Partisan gerrymandering has eroded voter confidence. Texas should establish a state Redistricting Commission so that legislative and congressional districts can be fairly allocated (as in HJR 59 by Howard).
Help TARA fight for retired Texans and all Texans.
Please take these action steps to support real election integrity. The League of Women Voters of Texas, an ally in the fight to improve voting, makes taking action easy. You can send letters already prepared for you via email to your own legislators as well as other key decision-makers.
https://my.lwv.org/texas/advocacy-issues/take-action#/
–President Tony Padilla