Voting illegally in Texas could carry a sentence of up to 20 years behind bars beginning Sept. 1, when a new law takes effect.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 1243, which increases the penalties for election fraud from a misdemeanor to a second-degree felony. It also makes attempting to vote illegally a state jail felony, punishable by up to two years in jail.
“I signed a law that makes election fraud a felony in Texas. Voting illegally can lead to a 20-year sentence. Don’t mess with Texas elections,” Abbott wrote on Twitter the morning of June 15.
The measure, signed June 13, comes less than two years after the penalty was downgraded from a felony to a Class A misdemeanor as part of an omnibus voting bill during the 87th legislative session. Illegal voting was a felony for more than 50 years before the punishment was reduced in 2021….