AUSTIN, Texas — Early voting in Texas got underway on Monday. Voters will largely be deciding on local propositions and offices such as mayor, and they will determine the outcome of eight proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution.
Despite no evidence for widespread voter fraud in Texas during the 2020 presidential election, state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday announced the formation of the 2021 Texas Election Integrity Unit.
According to Paxton, it “is a concentrated effort to devote agency lawyers, investigators, support staff, and resources to ensuring this local election season—which begins with early voting today, Monday, October 18—is run transparently and securely.”
Paxton said that a public email address has been set up that will allow people to report possible violations of the Texas Election Code.
The announcement additionally comes following the passage of Senate Bill 1, which will usher in sweeping voting restrictions in the state.
Among other things, when the laws goes into effect, it will prohibit drive-thru voting and threatens local elections officials with felony charges if they send mail-in voting applications to voters who don’t request one. Many of the provisions take aim at Harris County — which includes Houston and is a major Democratic stronghold — after leaders there expanded ways to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic.