Houston Republic

Recent election integrity bills pushed forward by Republicans in the Texas legislature are being criticized, with the argument being that voter fraud is not a problem, the Texas Tribune reports.

However, after a KSAT report that campaign worker Raquel Rodriguez has been charged with four felonies in San Antonio because of video footage that allegedly showed she gave voters gift bags for changing their votes, Attorney General Ken Paxton stated these claims of no voter fraud are unsubstantiated.

“Many continue to claim that there’s no such thing as election fraud. We’ve always known that such a claim is false and misleading, and today we have additional hard evidence. This is a victory for election integrity and a strong signal that anyone who attempts to defraud the people of Texas, deprive them of their vote, or undermine the integrity of elections will be brought to justice,” Paxton said.

Another recent case involves Kelly Reagan Brunner, a social worker at the Mexia State Supported Living Center in Limestone County.

According to Paxton's office, Brunner has been indicted on 134 counts of alleged voter fraud and "acting as an agent" after allegedly submitting registration applications for 67 residents at the living center without proper consent. According to Texas law, Brunner has no legal right to act on their behalf.

“Registering citizens to vote or to obtain mail ballots without their consent is illegal. It is particularly offensive when individuals purport to be champions for disability rights when in reality they are abusing our most vulnerable citizens in order to gain access to their ballots and amplify their own political voice," Paxton said. "My office is prepared to assist any Texas county in combating this insidious form of fraud.”

In February 2021, Paxton's office also announced charges against Leonor Rivas Garza, Eva Ann Martinez and Tomas Ramirez "related to the 2018 Medina County Primary Election."

Paxton's office stated the case is focused on "allegations of vote harvesting at assisted living centers in Medina County" during the 2018 election. Garza currently faces 17 charges, Ramirez faces 24 and Martinez faces 64.

More cases of alleged voter fraud were found in Gregg County, according to a press release. County Commissioner Shannon Brown and three paid workers from her primary campaign were indicted on 134 counts of "election-related fraud and record tampering" in 2018 on charges of soliciting mail-in votes from able-bodied voters without their consent and claiming them to be disabled.

According to the Texas Tribune, arguments in support of election integrity legislation are based on "concerns over widespread voter fraud for which there is little to no evidence." Additionally, the Tribune wrote that any instances of fraud were isolated and rare.

Senate Bill 7, recently passed by the Texas Senate on April 1, limits early polling hours, prohibits drive-thru voting and makes it illegal for local election officials to proactively send voting requests by mail, was passed by the Texas Senate on April 1.