Fifth Lawsuit Filed Against Texas Over Voter Suppression Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Another lawsuit was filed today challenging Texas’ newly enacted voter suppression law Senate Bill 1. This suit is the fifth lawsuit challenging the law, but the first to be filed in state court. It follows two lawsuits filed last Friday before the bill became law and two lawsuits filed immediately after S.B. 1 was signed into law earlier today by Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

The petition, filed on behalf of the Texas State Conference of the NAACP, Common Cause Texas, various election officials and an individual voter, challenges multiple provisions of S.B. 1. The plaintiffs argue that the restrictions on early voting, ban of drop boxes and drive-thru voting, restriction on election officials promoting vote by mail, expanded power of partisan poll watchers and strict guidelines for accepting vote by mail applications and ballots violate multiple provisions of the Texas Constitution because they were enacted with a discriminatory intent and burden the right to vote for all Texas voters, but particularly voters of color. The suit asks the court to prohibit the challenged provisions from being enforced.

Read the petition here.