For decades citizens of the United States have been told that every vote matters. The Republican party is pushing to pass bills that would make voting restrictions tighter, specifically House Bill 6 and Senate Bill 7 in Texas. These bills would make it more difficult to request and submit mail-in ballots, along with broadening poll watchers’ access at polling places.
Because of COVID-19 and the quarantines set into place, the use of mail-in ballots spiked dramatically. Approximately 50.3% of voters voted by absentee or mail-in ballots in the primaries of the 2020 presidential election. Republicans fear that elections may be fraudulent if voting is made easier, and Democrats fear that oppression and inequality is coming into play with these bills.
“People like convenience,” junior Delta Ware said. “It’s only going to discourage people from voting if they make it harder.”
Democrats fear that increasing voting restrictions and making it harder to vote will discourage citizens from voting in elections.
“These limitations are definitely going to make it harder for people with disabilities,” Ware said. “It’s every American’s right to vote and they should be able to do so in comfort.”
Democrats also fear that people with disabilities will get the short end of the stick if these new voting restrictions are put into place. Mail-in ballots may be more convenient for people with disabilities, and these restrictions will make it harder for citizens to request and submit mail-in ballots.
