The Senate also approved Senate Bill 2, which would infuse $5.2 billion to school districts to help them with teacher raises and rising costs. Gov. Greg Abbott said he would add those items to the special session’s agenda once lawmakers approve a voucher program.

Though more Bexar County voters voted by mail in the May 7 election than had in the Mar. 1 primary, the preliminary mail ballot rejection rate of 3% was far lower than the 21.7% that left thousands of ballots uncounted two months earlier.

For the May 7 election, every mail ballot is sent out with an informational insert reminding the voter about a new, ID number requirement that tripped up many people in the March 1 Primary elections.

A little-known provision within the new Texas election law will require 24-hour surveillance cameras to be used whenever paper ballots are being tallied in counties with populations of 100,000 people or more, like Bexar County. Taxpayers will have to bear the cost of the new equipment, officials say.

SB 1 makes up Republicans’ third attempt to pass a far-reaching law that restricts how and when voters cast ballots. It takes particular aim at voting initiatives used in diverse, Democratic Harris County in the 2020 election.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would sign into law on Tuesday the contentious voting restrictions passed by Republicans after a Democrat-led quorum break this summer.

Harris County joined a coalition of community and advocacy groups filing lawsuits over Senate Bill 1, arguing the far-reaching rewrite of Texas voting laws violates the U.S. Constitution and numerous federal laws and will suppress voters.

Senate Bill 1 rewrites Texas election laws to further restrict the voting-by-mail process and outlaw local voting initiatives meant to widen access, namely those pushed by Harris County that were disproportionately used by voters of color.

On Saturday, the Texas House Select Committee on Constitutional Rights & Remedies will hear public testimony on HB 3, the elections bill.

Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 3 will be the starting points for the Legislature's efforts to tighten Texas voting laws. Here's what the bills would do.