Senate Bill 997 will curb fraudulent use of early voting mail-in ballots; bill soon be heading to Senate Floor
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN TEXAS State Senator Florence Shapiro (R-District 8) announced that yesterday her mail-in ballot fraud bill Senate Bill 997 successfully passed out of the Senate State Affairs Committee by a vote of 8-0 and will soon be heading to the Senate.
Senator Shapiro has filed this bill because confidence in the integrity of our electoral processes is essential to the successful functioning of our participatory democracy. If voters sense their legitimate votes will be outweighed by fraudulent ones they will feel disenfranchised.
According to Shapiro We have heard repeated testimony about the perils of mail-in ballot fraud and how it serves to undermine the integrity of the vote itself. This bill targets the root of this problem.
The Senator added We can enhance ballot integrity without raising barriers to vote.
The fraudulent use of early voting mail-in ballots and the pattern of targeting minority communities the elderly and the disabled is not confined to any particular region in Texas.
According to the 2005 report issued by the highly respected Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform Absentee ballots remain the largest
source of potential voter fraud.
SB 997 closes a loophole that currently exists in the Election Code. At present an individual can acquire copies of any mail-in ballot application from the voting clerk at any time.
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At right: Senator Shapiro talks about the importance of voting the Texas State Budget & how each voters ballot counts. This Insider Video was recorded just days before last Novembers Election.)
SB 997 will change the availability of copies of mail-in ballot applications for public inspection to after Election Day.
In closing Shapiro stated The total integrity of our democratic system depends on legitimately free and fair elections. Voter fraud compromises the entire system.
