Ft. Worth Star-Telegram: “Texas’ new election law resulted in confusion and hundreds of votes uncounted as officials scrambled to prepare for the changes.
The March 1 Democratic and Republican primaries were the first Texas elections with a wide-reaching voting law in effect. The bill — Senate Bill 1 — and earlier versions made national headlines during the 2021 legislative session and subsequent special sessions. Democrats and voting rights advocates warned it would disenfranchise voters. Republicans said it was needed to promote election integrity.
The full impact of the law is still being assessed, as it made its way through the state house, concerns were raised about emboldened partisan poll watchers, limited voting hours and the removal of drive thru voting locations like those used amid COVID-19 in Harris County. Leading up to the election and in the weeks since, an new voter ID requirement for absentee voters has emerged as having one of the most prominent effects.
In Tarrant County alone, 815 ballots were rejected over the ID rule — three in the Republican primary and 812 in the Democratic primary. Those interviewed for this story said they could not provide a definitive reason for the discrepancy between the parties. In Texas, nearly 23,000 ballots, — 13% — were rejected for reasons that include the ID requirement, according to an analysis by the Associated Press of 187 counties in the state.”