In the midst of a growing national discourse on access to the polls, several large companies have voiced concerns – and in some cases, direct objections – about bills that supporters of the right to vote say would make it more difficult to vote in Texas.
Dell and American Airlines specifically mentioned Texas Senate Bill 7 and its version in the House, House Bill 6, while AT&T looked more broadly at the complexity of the elections, the responsibility of lawmakers and a broader “engagement responsibility”.
“Instead of trying to limit access, governments should provide innovative ways for citizens to have their voices heard. Legislation such as HB6 does the opposite, and we are opposed to it,” said a statement from Dell, adding that the right voting was especially important. “sweaty” by “women and communities of color,” he said.
Republicans from the State Senate advanced on the SB7 in the early hours of Thursday. The legislation proposes changing existing voting rules, including reducing early voting hours and banning drive-through voting, which was popular among densely populated and diverse areas when voters voted in November.
The Senate bill also prohibits election officials from sending voting requests by mail to voters if they do not request the forms individually, and requires voters with disabilities to provide specific proof of disability from the federal government or a doctor.
That same day, the Texas House Elections Committee heard testimonies about the version of the bill in its House. Although HB6 echoed the provisions of the Senate bill regarding the request for ballots by mail, it also included new rules on how voters could be assisted in filling out their ballots and expanded the access that polling station observers could have inside the venues. voting.
American Airlines addressed its statement to the Senate bill, saying it included “provisions that limit access to voting”.
“To make American’s position clear: we are strongly against this bill and the like. As a Texas-based company, we must defend the rights of our team members and clients who call Texas home and honor the sacrifices made by generations of Americans to protect and expand the right to vote, “the statement said.
Although none of the companies explicitly indicated their intention to exploit economic ramifications against the state or its Republican legislators if the projects were to become law, their statements were a sign that some of the largest corporate shareholders – and employers – in Texas are keeping control of the accounts.
In a statement released after the American Airlines comment, Texas Governor Lieutenant Dan Patrick claimed that the airline’s government relations representative called his office minutes earlier and “admitted that neither he nor the CEO of American Airlines actually read it. the legislation “.
“Texans are fed up with corporations that don’t share our values trying to dictate public policy. Most Texans support maintaining the integrity of our elections, which is why I made it a priority in this legislative session,” said Patrick.
The Republican-led focus on “electoral integrity” comes just a few months after voter turnout reached new heights across the state of Lone Star, in preparation for the 2020 election pandemic – and after Texas Democrats drew up their roadmap to turn the blue state over the next few years.
Texas-based voting rights advocates condemned the efforts as being particularly damaging to the constituencies that traditionally form the Democratic base.
“These accounts, if approved, will make things difficult [to vote] and specifically aim to suppress the participation of minority voters. They would undermine the ability of local electoral authorities to encourage voter participation and create new barriers for voters themselves, “US Representative Marc Veasey, a Democrat from Texas, said about the bills in a press conference with reporters.
In the meantime, some disability advocates say that the parameters set by SB7 would cause voters with disabilities to face the equivalent of a poll tax, since not every person with a disability qualified to vote can also present an official and documented diagnosis as the legislation requires.
With major political interests at stake, Charlie Bonner, a spokesman for the grassroots group MOVE Texas, suggested that legislative pressure could backfire on Republicans.
“I think what we’ve seen over and over is that Texans hate a cheater. They see what’s going on now – that Governor (Greg) Abbott and his cronies in the House and the Senate can’t win the issue, so they’re trying to change the rules. People see this and understand what’s going on, “Bonner told reporters during a recent call.