On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law the voter integrity bill, requiring all elections held in the state are upheld to strong standards of identification and voting-ability.
As he was signing the bill, Abbott said, “it easier than ever before for anybody to go cast a ballot. It does also, however, make sure it is harder than ever for people to cheat at the ballot box.”
He added, “Election integrity is now law in Texas.”
The law requires municipalities with populations exceeding 55,000 to remain open for 12 hours, giving enough time for voters to access their prospective polls.
In addition, the law bans controversial “drive-through” and casting ballots without an ID.
The law also takes aim at those who will be overseeing elections within the Lone Star State. The law requires training programs and new rules for poll watchers who want to observe the voting process.
The signing of the bill puts an end to a drawn-out publicity stunt conducted by state democrats, who had earlier this year fled the state in hopes that their irrational effort would create changes to the bill.