Approximately half a million vote-by-mail applications will be hitting the mailboxes of seniors all across Texas. In a quarter-million-dollar investment, the Texas Democratic Party is actively fighting back against the Republican-backed voting laws that went into effect in 2021, specifically designed to make it harder to vote by mail.
In the March 2022 primary election, there was a higher mail-ballot rejection rate than ever before – approximately 12.4% of all ballots were rejected, with many more rejected and subsequently corrected in time to be counted. The Texas Democratic Party worked to redesign their vote-by-mail application to help voters navigate the obstacles Republicans have put in their way.
“Texas Republicans effectively kept eligible seniors and disabled Texans from having their votes counted in the March primary. Republicans have stolen Texans’ votes, using the law as cover,” said Rose Clouston, Texas Democratic Party Director of Voter Protection. “Republicans don’t think they can win a fair fight, so they’ve changed the rules to allow fewer people to vote. But Texas Democrats are doing everything we can to support the voters Republicans are trying to disenfranchise.”
Specific upgrades to the mail ballot request form include:
- Reducing unnecessary or duplicative fields
- Increasing the font size to improve readability
- Highlighting the mandatory and required fields, such as ID number and signature
- Incorporating Spanish translation
- Labeling the form with step-by-step directions and dates
Comparison photos:
The generic form found on the Texas Secretary of State website has small, crowded type and space for required responses, as well as unclear field labels:
The Texas Democratic Party mail ballot request form targeted to seniors increases font size, removes unnecessary fields, and guarantees language access for Spanish speakers.
