Texas House Bill HB1353

Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Caption

Relating to requiring a voter to be affiliated with a political party to vote in that party's primary election or otherwise participate in that party's affairs; creating a criminal offense; amending provisions subject to a criminal penalty.

Impact

The implications of HB 1353 extend to several aspects of voter registration and participation in elections. The bill stipulates that the voter registration certificates must indicate each voter's political party affiliation. Consequently, this change would significantly affect independent voters, as those who do not declare an affiliation prior to the primary elections will be listed as 'independent' and barred from voting in any party primary. Furthermore, the legislation necessitates that party affiliation information be collected and recorded more rigorously by the election authorities.

Summary

House Bill 1353 seeks to mandate that voters must be affiliated with a political party in order to participate in that party's primary elections or engage in its affairs. This legislation proposes amendments to the Election Code in Texas, emphasizing the requirement of political party affiliation as a prerequisite for voters in the primary process. Moreover, the bill introduces penalties for those who knowingly violate the affiliation requirement by voting in a primary election of a political party without being affiliated with that party.

Contention

The most notable contention surrounding HB 1353 lies in its potential to disenfranchise independent voters who may wish to participate in party primaries. Critics argue that the requirement could create barriers to voting and limit the democratic process by constricting the choices available to voters who do not wish to align with a specific political party. Proponents, however, argue that establishing clear party affiliations would help maintain the integrity of party primaries and ensure that only those committed to a party’s principles can influence its candidate selection.