The Republican-led Texas state Senate passed a bill early on Thursday that would ban mail-in ballot drop boxes and most drive-thru voting—in the wake of controversy about the voting practices being used during the Nov. 3 election. The bill, which passed 18–13 along party lines, will now head to the Texas state House of Representatives. Committee hearings are slated to start when the lawmakers convene Tuesday, April 6. The measure, according to State Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Republican, is “designed to address areas through process where bad actors can take advantage because we want the people of Texas to be confident their elections are fair, honest, and open.” The legislation “standardizes and clarifies” voting rules so “every Texan has a fair and equal opportunity to vote, regardless of where they live in the state,” he added. It will also require voters who have disabilities to prove that they cannot access polls in person …