From PolitiFact Texas:
Yes, the Texas Senate SB7 Election Bill Changes Early Voting Rules
Lieutenant-General Dan Patrick stood before reporters during a Tuesday morning news conference in which he excited Democrats and many in the media about spreading ‘lies’ about Senate Bill 7, a measure that gives access to the vote in the state would be limited.
“Left, the Democrats, a lot in the media, some in this room, across the country, across the country, have unfortunately changed the word from ‘voter security’ to ‘voter oppression’ or ‘voter restriction’,” Patrick, a Republican, angry said. “Senate Bill 7 is about voter security and not about oppression of voters, and I am tired of lies and the nest of liars who keep repeating them.”
Before Patrick explained how the bill would amend the state election code, Patrick said something he would repeat during the 35-minute press conference.
“Nothing has changed in the election code (under SB7) regarding early voting. “Nothing has changed,” he said.
SB 7 was passed by the Texas Senate last week along party lines and is one of two bills being considered by the Legislature. SB 7 is similar to bills in Georgia and other states to reduce local control over elections.
The bill would prohibit local election administrators from extending the early voting hours and operating drive-through polling stations. It would also prevent election officials from submitting applications for ballots without the request of a voter, and would allow, among other things, partisan voters to gain more access to polling stations during voting time.
Patrick said the measures were intended to restore people’s confidence in American democracy after the 2020 presidential election. Patrick continued the false allegations of former President Donald Trump that the 2020 election was plagued by voter fraud. In November, the lieutenant governor offered $ 1 million in rewards to anyone who provided information that led to the arrest and conviction of voter fraud. (When asked by a reporter On Tuesday, if he were to reward Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman in Pennsylvania, he said he gave Patrick two cases from Trump voters to vote in the name of their deceased mothers, Patrick said: ‘I did not come here to stupid questions from the media. ”)
“People in America have lost confidence in their election,” he said. “We have to solve the problem in this country and in this state. Therefore, SB 7 is required. ”
For this fact check, we focus on Patrick’s first assertion – that SB 7 would not change anything in the election code regarding early voting. Let’s see how the bill will affect early voting …
Read the full story and see how Patrick’s claim to PolitiFact Texas is judged. Listen to an interview with PolitiFact’s Brandon Mulder in the audio player above.