Analysis:
Senate Bill 7 Conference Committee Report Texas 87th Legislature

Executive Summary

Now that the 87th Texas Legislative session has concluded, Governor Abbott is likely to call a Special Session aimed to pass what is being proffered to be election integrity legislation. The Senate Bill (SB) 7 Conference Report that prompted Democratic lawmakers to stage a walkout will likely be the legislation voted upon in the special session. The SB 7 Conference Report, like previous versions of SB 7 and HB 6, has the stated intention to “reduce the likelihood of fraud” in Texas elections. The following analysis finds that the changes made to SB 7 continue to fail to meet this intention by continuing to perpetuate accusations of fraud not supported by evidence, increasing restrictions on voting access, and incentivizing the fabrication of allegations in future elections. SB 7 Conference Committee Report also threatens to limit democratic participation, advancing proposals that restrict access to mail-in ballots or limit voting hours at polling locations. Because the SB 7 Conference Committee Report suffers from these flaws, the bill will ultimately fail to restore faith in the US election system, and likely exacerbate current distrust.

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