US Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday promoted the Biden administration's efforts to advance voting rights when she met 16 fellow Democrats from the Texas state legislature who successfully blocked a bill they said would make it harder for Blacks and Hispanics to vote.Democrats in the Texas statehouse walked out on a legislative session last month to deprive Republicans of a quorum needed to pass a voting bill. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has vowed to bring the legislature back in a yet-to-be-called special session.Under the Texas proposal, drive-through voting would no longer be allowed, early voting would be limited, 24-hour polling sites would be scrapped, and absentee ballots would be more difficult to cast.
Critics say such measures keep many Black and Hispanic voters, traditional supporters of Democrats, from the polls.
Harris plans to bring together elected officials and concerned Americans to build a coalition to work on voting rights and will seek legislation that improves access to the ballot box, senior administration officials said.
