Texas Democrats scuttle election reform

A Republican bill in the Texas House of Representatives would have tightened rules on mail-in voting and blocked local officials from sending ballot applications to anyone who didn’t request them. It would also have eliminated drive-thru voting and 24-hour polling centers, both of which were introduced in the Houston area last year. To stop the bill from passing, Democrats walked out of the House late Sunday, making it impossible to meet the necessary quorum.

Can the bill still become law? Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, quickly announced he would order a special session to finish the job. Republicans say the voting reforms would protect the integrity of future elections, while Democrats charge they were designed to discourage minorities from voting.

Dig deeper: Read Harvest Prude’s report in The Stew about another controversial voting law passed this year in Georgia.