The contentious voting restrictions bill passed by Republicans last month following a Democrat-led quorum break was signed into law on Tuesday.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1 at a press conference in East Texas at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
Abbott was joined by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the bill’s authors, state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineaola, and state Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction. Murr’s district is a large chunk of the Hill Country west and northwest of San Antonio.
SB 1 is wide-ranging voting legislation that received national headlines following a dramatic but ultimately unsuccessful last-ditch effort by Texas Democrats to prevent the bill from passing.
The voting restrictions include a ban on drive-thru voting and 24-hour voting, both of which were used in Houston’s Harris County during the pandemic.
The legislation restricts early voting hours to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. across the state but requires at least 12 hours of early voting per day for counties with more than 55,000 people.
New restrictions on mail-in voting have been added, including a ban on sending ballot applications unsolicited and new ID requirements.
Read about other restrictions in the legislation from KSAT partner Texas Tribune.