This Thursday, May 4th, one of the most dangerous bills this session goes up for a hearing in House Elections.

SB 1039 is the latest extreme bill targeting our elections and local election officials. As with so many other bills we’re seeing this session, this is yet another policy in the damning trend of legislation this year that targets elections, local DAs and our judicial process, our schools and students, communities of color and the Texas immigrant population. As we’ve said before, this all goes far beyond voter suppression — It is a coordinated attack to silence the voice and power of the people of Texas and it’s incumbent on us to push back.

What is SB 1039?

This bill creates a system for investigating alleged election irregularities. Specifically it permits an individual to make a written request to an election authority (such as an Election Administrator) seeking an explanation for an alleged election irregularity or what they believe to be a violation of law if that individual participated in the election as a:

• a county chair or state chair of a political party,

• candidate,

• a presiding judge,

• an alternate presiding judge, or

• the head of a specific-purpose political committee that supports or opposes a ballot measure.

If that person is unsatisfied with the explanation given or evidence presented, they can then file a report to the Secretary of State who is then authorized to request an audit.

SB 1039 also ultimately grants outsized authority to the SOS to be able to appoint a conservator to oversee elections in the election administrator’s jurisdiction, who would serve for two federal election cycles and the SOS can also impose a civil penalty.

There is no mistaking that bills like SB 1039 (and SB 1750 which advanced out of committee last week) are attacks on local control and county governments, and undermine the will of local voters.

For more, check out: The 13 election bills to watch as the Texas Legislature heads into its last month

Join us in sending a ready-to-go letter to members of the House Elections Committee urging them to reject this harmful bill for Texas!