The Texas Senate on Wednesday got closer to raising the penalty for voting illegally from a misdemeanor to a felony, as well as making it easier to convict a voter without proving they intended to cast an illegal ballot. The legislation is a priority for Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other Republican lawmakers who have pushed for it since the 2021 change lowering the penalty to a misdemeanor, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Texas.
![College students begin to vote at Texas A&M International University. Jessica Nicole Rodriguez for The Texas Tribune](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_featured_image/public/articles/2023-05/screenshot-2023-05-25-111615-am.png?itok=oMSKE_t_)