AUSTIN, Texas — A pair of state lawmakers from Austin are pushing bills during this legislative session to make it easier for Texans convicted of a felony who have served their sentence of incarceration to vote. State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin) and State Rep. John Bucy (D-Austin) have introduced Senate Bill 631 and House Bill 590.
The two lawmakers held a press conference at the state Capitol on Wednesday morning, urging their fellow lawmakers to support the legislation.
“When someone has done their time, followed the rules, and come home ready to contribute, they deserve a clear path to fully reentering society, including the right to vote,” Bucy said. “This is about fairness. It’s about restoring rights and making sure that we all live up to the promise of a democracy that truly reflects every voice.”
Under current Texas law, felons can vote again after completing their full sentence, which includes time behind bars, probation, parole and supervised release.
SB 631, introduced by Eckhardt, would remove the parole and probation requirements and allow those convicted of felonies to vote so long as they are not currently behind bars.
“Once the state has determined that an individual does not need to serve time for their offense or has served a sufficient amount of time and can be released into the community, that state determination should restore their voting rights,” Eckhardt said.
Bucy has introduced a companion bill in the House, along with another bill on the topic, HB 590. That bill would require the Texas Secretary of State’s Office to notify Texans who have completed their felony sentences that they are eligible to register to vote again.
“No red tape, no politics, just basic transparency and communication,” Bucy said. “So many people don’t know, and we want to make it simple to get people reengaged.”
The Sentencing Project, a national advocacy and research organization, estimates that 479,000 Texans are currently disenfranchised because of Texas laws, or what Eckhardt said was slightly more than 2% of the population in Texas. That includes 327,000 Texans on probation or parole who currently cannot vote. Bob Libal, a senior political strategist for the Sentencing Project, said it disproportionately impacts Black and brown Texans.
“Voting has a positive relationship to improved community safety outcomes. Research supports the link between justice, impacted individuals having the right to vote and reductions in recidivism,” Libal said. “We want our communities to be safer. We all want our communities to be safer and retaining one’s voting rights and voice should be viewed as a community safety strategy.”
Advocates and Texans are currently disenfranchised because of felony convictions joined Eckhardt and Bucy at the press conference.
Robert Lilly spent 21 years behind bars. He carries his last voter registration card to motivate his desire to once again participate in our electoral process. At 54 years old, he has only voted once. Since he is currently on parole, he cannot vote again until he is 81, which he said makes him feel alienated and excluded.
“Despite being a homeowner and employed individual and engaged father, my inability to vote denies me full participation in my community,” he said.
While critics argue that losing the right to vote is punishment for the crime committed, Lilly said that doesn’t recognize the ability to grow, change and earn a second chance.
“Denying voting rights after serving time reflects a focus on punishment and not rehabilitation. Restoring voting rights is essential for justice and democracy,” Lilly said. “Engaging citizens reduces recidivism and strengthens communities. By denying the right to vote, we send a harmful message that my voice doesn’t matter, which is unjust and counterproductive.”
Marci Marie Simmons spent nearly a decade in prison and is disenfranchised from voting until 2030
“I got a job. I work hard. I pay my taxes, and still I’m told my voice doesn’t matter. I can’t vote,” Simmons said. “How long away from my past do I have to get before I get a say in the policies that shape my future? Being left out stings.”
Now the director of community engagement for the Lioness Justice Women’s Alliance, Simmons said voting isn’t just a checkbox or a sticker you get when you cast that ballot.
“It’s about being seen. It’s about being heard, being valued and having a say in the policies that shape our communities, the communities that I live in, the communities I’m raising, my family,” Simmons said. “Voting disenfranchisement isn’t just about punishment. It’s about power. Millions of people are being left out of that in this state.”
Simmons and Lilly offered a message to state lawmakers, urging them not to define them by their mistakes of the past.
“I ask that you see us not just on the worst moment of our lives but on what we’re doing now and how we’re contributing now,” Simmons said. “I’m not just someone who was in prison. I’m someone who came home. I’m someone raising my family. I’m someone organizing. I’m someone educating. And I’m someone reaching back to the people behind me and lifting them up as well.”
They hope to have a say in and vote on issues affecting their community and lives, such as school board elections, housing policies and taxes.
“It’s about being seen, about being counted, and it’s about being valued. When we strip someone of that right after they have served their time, we are not protecting the integrity of democracy. We are betraying it,” Steve Huerta with All of Us or None Texas said. “We are not asking for special treatment. We are calling for equal footing, the chance to participate and a say in the schools our children attend and in the streets we walk. This is not a partisan issue. This is a people issue, and deep down across every political divide, we share common values of fairness, freedom and second chances.”
The bills have been assigned to committees in the House and Senate, but they have not received a hearing yet. Eckhardt and Bucy said they are hopeful their legislation will receive a hearing this session and are working to get their Democratic and Republican colleagues on board with criminal justice reform.