Texas Gov.
Greg Abbott (R) is calling on state lawmakers to stiffen the penalties for illegal voting.
A sweeping elections bill signed into law last month lowered illegal voting in Texas from a second degree felony to a Class A misdemeanor. That change was scheduled to take effect in December.
But in
a message to the secretary of the state Senate on Thursday, Abbott urged lawmakers, now in a special session, to take up legislation that would effectively reverse that change.
“The State of Texas has made tremendous progress in upholding the integrity of our elections,” he said in a statement. “By increasing penalties for illegal voting, we will send an even clearer message that voter fraud will not be tolerated in Texas.”
A Class A misdemeanor can include up to a year in prison, but can also simply result in a fine. By comparison, a second-degree felony in Texas can come with a sentence of as much as 20 years in prison.
Abbott’s call is only the latest in a series of election-related moves by Texas Republicans. Last month, he signed into law Senate Bill 1, a sweeping measure that seeks to tighten state election laws and restrict local control over the process.