Texas Republicans are doubling down in their efforts to suppress voting rights, as they unveiled a host of new restrictive measures during a special session Thursday. The bills include a ban on drive-thru voting and 24-hour or late-night voting options. They would penalize election officials who make voting easier by sending out unsolicited absentee applications. The measures would also impose stringent signature-matching requirements and increase the power of partisan poll observers, which can result in intimidation. The new restrictions, which disproportionately target voters of color, come after Texas Democratic lawmakers staged a walkout in late May to block the Republican-controlled Legislature from passing a sweeping voter suppression bill.
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