In recent days, Texas, the second most populous state in the United States, has become the focus of American politics because it is about to pass a highly controversial election law among American states.
Republicans control most seats in the state’s legislature and the governorship. It is the state with the most votes for Republicans in the past two decades, but Republicans generally worry that future changes in the state’s population will affect their continued control of it. The new bill aims to create obstacles for minority groups to vote.
How long can “Republican Texas” last?
During the 2012 presidential election, 57.2% of Texas voters voted for Republican candidate Mitt Romney. In 2016, Republican candidate Donald Trump’s vote ratio dropped to 52.3%. In the 2020 election In China, the proportion continued to decline, Trump only won 52% of the vote, and the decline in the Republican vote rate corresponds to the increasing proportion of the state’s non-white population.
The U.S. Census is conducted every 10 years, and the results in 2020 show that the total population of the state has reached 29.1 million.
Between 2000 and 2010, the population of Texas increased by more than 4 million to a total population of 25.1 million. Therefore, the state won 3 more seats in the House of Representatives and the number of members of the House of Representatives reached 38.
In the past ten years, the state’s population has increased by 3.5 million to a total population of 29.1 million. It will gain two more seats in the House of Representatives. Starting from the 2022 parliamentary elections, the state’s total number of representatives will reach 40.
People born outside the United States accounted for 17% of the state’s total population, a total of 4.9 million people. About 8% of families in Texas do not speak English, and Spanish is their first language.
Hispanic immigrants account for most of the state’s population growth, and they traditionally support the Democratic Party.
Although the Republican Party’s votes in the past three presidential elections have gradually declined, Trump still has more than half of the votes in the state (Reuters)According to the 2020 Census, Texas racial demographic data is updated as follows:
White: 41.2%.
Hispanic: 39.7%.
Blacks: 12.9%.
Asians: 5.2%.
Other: 1%
The Republican Party controls the state’s local legislature. The state Senate has a total of 31 members. The Republican Party has a majority of 18 members to 13 Democrats. In the state House of Representatives, Republicans account for 83 members to a majority of 67 Democrats. The governor of the state, Greg Abbott, is from the Republican Party.
(Al Jazeera)What do the Republicans in Texas want?
Republicans proposed a bill called SB7, the “Election Integrity Protection Act of 2021.” The proposal aims to impose new restrictions on the voting system, and Republicans claim that the reasonable reforms proposed by the proposed bill will help simplify voting procedures and reduce fraud.
Republicans called for measures to require voters to prove their nationality and carry official ID cards to vote, increase the transparency of voting and vote counting, and conduct public review procedures.
In addition, Republicans said they want to “unify” the voting rules of the state’s 159 counties.
The bill will also set new restrictions on early voting on weekends, prohibiting some polling stations from voting without getting off the bus. During the 2020 general election, some non-white voters will do so.
The bill also prohibits voting before 1 p.m. on Sunday. Voting rights organizations warn that this will affect the election campaign known as “from prayer to voting”; this is an event the church has always organized and encourages worshippers to be on Sunday morning. Vote after prayer.
Biden strongly criticizes Republican bill in Texas (Reuters)Biden and the Democratic Party
During his visit to Tulsa, Oklahoma, Biden criticized the draft resolution last Tuesday, saying: “The voting rights of African Americans will be attacked as never before due to the voting restrictions passed by conservative states. Holy voting rights. Being under a fierce attack I have never seen before.”
Democrats in the Texas local legislature tried to prevent the passage of the bill, which was supported by the Republican governor.
Before the bill was submitted to the Senate for voting last Sunday, Democrats left the capitol in the state capital of Austin. The bill was temporarily frozen due to insufficient quorums for the final vote.
However, the Republicans intend to convene a special session of the state legislature to advance the proposed new regulations.
Possibility of reversing election results
The bill was introduced on March 11, and its stated purpose is to “expose and punish fraud.” Republican legislators said they aimed to ensure that elections would not become an issue that would shake the “electoral trust”, the fundamental pillar of American democracy.
The legal text includes a mechanism that can cancel and overturn election results. If “the number of illegal votes proved in the election is greater than or equal to the votes required to change the election results, the court can declare the election invalid without determining how individual voters voted.” “
What’s the next step?
Democrats see Texas as a battle that cannot be retreated or failed. Republicans must make public their attempts to hinder the continued growth of minority and immigrant populations in the state and the inevitable decline in white voter turnout.
Will future elections still be a mechanism for electing governors and congressmen, or will they become a way to harm American democracy? The next steps of both parties will give the answer to the question.
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