November’s elections showed that a rising generation of young, diverse Texans is emerging as an electoral giant. Soon 1 in 3 eligible voters in this state will be under the age of 30.
But those in power right now don’t want that. They want to hold on to power by keeping young Texans and communities of color out of the polling booth. And to do that, they’re pushing an extreme voter suppression bill in the Legislature – SB 9
Texas Rising is fighting SB9. Here’s how you can help:
- Register for Texas Rising Advocacy Day (April 4). Showing up in Austin to speak out in person against voter suppression is the most effective way to fight bad legislation.
- Contact your Senator and tell them that a) You oppose SB 9; and b) they should focus on legislation that makes voting easier, not harder. You can find your senator’s contact information by using this tool.
Here are some of the awful things in SB9:
- Have voters thrown in jail for years for an honest error on their registration form or casting a provisional ballot mistakenly in the wrong precinct. That would almost certainly lead to more selective prosecutions targeting minority and young voters. The clear purpose is to frighten eligible voters into not registering at all.
- Grant immunity to law enforcement officials who commit election-related crimes during an investigation – throwing open the door to official harassment, even undercover “sting” operations, of groups like Texas Rising that register voters and help turn out the vote.
- Make voters’ personal information, including Social Security numbers, available to voter suppression schemes like Presidents Trump’s bogus “voter fraud” panel.
Lawmakers who support SB9 see an increasingly diverse electorate – especially young and minority voters – as a threat to their power. But we refuse to be intimidated and silenced.
Texas Rising won’t stand for bills like these. And we will continue to register voters and make sure their voices are heard and their votes registered in polling places across the state.
