Texas Legislature Passes Bill Easing Voting for Individuals With Disabilities
UPDATE: On June 18, Gov. Abbott signed S.B. 477 into law.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, May 26, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 477, a bill that would make voting easier for individuals with disabilities. Now that S.B. 477 has passed both chambers, it goes to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) for his signature.
S.B. 477 would require election workers to allow voters with mobility problems to skip the line when they vote in person. Each polling location would also have to set aside one parking space to be used for curbside voting and information about both of these accommodations would have to be posted publicly. Finally, the bill would mandate that mail-in ballot applications be available online in a format that allows the voters to complete before printing.
In 2020, voting for Texas’ three million disabled voters was difficult due to the lack of accommodations and issues with curbside voting, problems that continued in 2022. S.B. 477 is intended to resolve some of those issues. If Abbott signs the bill into law, it will take effect immediately.