Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick held a press conference on April 6th concerning legislative efforts to address election security. Lt. Gov Patrick addressed criticism and highlighted aspects of SB 7 concerning election security, including paper back-ups for ballots, making communications with election machine vendors open to records requests, and requiring that no voting machine is connected to the internet. He further noted that SB 7 does not change law regarding and mail-in ballot requirements or duration and hours for early voting.
The report below is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
- SB 7 is about voter security, not about voter suppression; tired of the lies
- Nothing has changed regarding early voting in the Election Code, TX has more early voting opportunity than other states
- Nothing has changed about election day voting, mail-in ballots, disability procedures, have been loosened up; signature verification has broadened
- Nothing in these areas has changed, anyone who says differently is lying
- Heard similar things in 2011 with voter ID bill, heard it would suppress the turnout of minority voters; turnout has increased dramatically since 2011, total turnout has increased roughly 75%
- Voters registered has significantly increased as well, Texas has had significant increases in turnout and
- Increased statistics have been done under Republican leadership, have secured vote and increased turnout
- Bill is needed because Americans do not trust the system, large numbers doubted results in 2016 and 2020
- Have not changed early voting dates, have not changed mail-in voting for seniors or those with disabilities, polling places are being standardized, not reduced
- Heard this also when straight-ticket voting was removed in 2017, but those in RGV voted for Trump for President and Democrats for state representation
- People of color are hurt when MLB pulls games out of Georgia; American Airlines called our office to us this isn’t personnel, but they hadn’t read the bill
- Questioning our integrity, essentially calling us racist; have a right to your opinion, but at least read the bill
- Corporations are meddling issues they do not understand, turning off roughly 50% of customers; not a fan of boycotts, but people will make up their own minds
- Say they don’t want to offend us because they might have a bill next session they want to pass; “good luck”
- Grew up in the 60s, country has come far, but people in this country are trying to do everything they can do to divide; Left, Democrats, and media consistently claim racism, but people see through it
- Need to heal this nation, can’t heal this nation if people constantly cry racism
- SB 7 is a good bill
- Have heard questions on 24-hour voting, drive thru voting, mail ballots etc.; Harris County is not the capitol of Texas, does not make policy and law for the rest of the state
- Judge threw out case on other grounds, but opined that they would have ruled it unlawful
- Statistics show more people of color don’t have cars than not, didn’t help these people
- Media reported 7k votes have not been resolved, this is a wrong count
- 24 hours voting is not in state law, hard enough to get poll watchers as it is; expanding voting hours on election day
- Have had questions on sending mail-in ballots to everyone, but people move, people die; can’t be certain that these are reaching individuals; mail in ballot process is very simple, if you request you get a form
- If Harris County was in charge, rest of state would be shut down, criminals would be released
- SB 7 requires paper back-up for every ballot, consistent rules to be able to count ballots on time, is American Airlines okay with this?
- Both parties agree mail in ballots are susceptible to fraud; mail in fraud is so hard to catch
- Under SB 7 ballots will go to people who currently live at the address
- All communications with election machine vendors subject to open records, asks if this is okay with American Airlines
- No voting machine can be connected to the internet, vote totals can’t change once votes are cast
- Counties over 100k will be required to livestream their process
- On polling locations, Harris County set up 2 drive-thru locations in the largest Republican districts, set up 5 in the largest Democrat districts; need to address this as local officials may try to put more polling locations in certain areas
- Must stop race-baiting on every issue, those saying voter suppression are lying to you; all of us must consider what we say and how it affects our country
Questions
- You mentioned reason or SB 7 was lack of faith in elections, but doesn’t messaging like this lead to this; many have said fraud was negligible and was most secure election ever
- Gov. Patrick – Sen. Rodriguez said he believed in stopping mail fraud in 2017, we need as close to zero tolerance as we can get for people casting ballots they shouldn’t have
- Not talking about specific elections, heard these same arguments in 2011 and 2017 but turnout has increased, need secure voting system
- Have other corporations reached out to you, or the NCAA or MLB like American Airlines has?
- No, not to my knowledge
- Not sure who at American Airlines thought of calling the Lt. Gov. against the bill, but they ought to fire that guy
- A lot of these corporations are big Republican donors
- They give donations to Republicans and Democrats, they want to make sure they’re covered
- Some of these groups might be giving me money
- I couldn’t care less who is giving me money; care about secure elections, care about ending divisive talk about racism, care about corporations getting involved in things they don’t know about
- MLB should be embarrassed; I don’t know what the Georgia law is about, can’t trust all things in media
- Wonder how people of color in the players union feel that the black population of Atlanta had the game taken from them and sent to Denver with 9% black
- Do you think some of these corporations should lose some of their tax incentives?
- Gov. Patrick – Not a quid pro quid, not punishing people because they disagree with us, but corporations benefit from state policies, and these kinds of criticisms are not appropriate
- IF American Airlines calls and tells you it’s not personal, but lists out charges that are essentially calling you racist, this is not acceptable
- Corporate America does not run this country, Democrats have become the party of big tech, Republicans are the party that represent people of the state; need to look at results of 2020 elections, Trump turned 7 counties in historically Democratic regions with large minority demographics
- People on the border are worried about crime and COVID from across the border
- Not listening to CEOs who haven’t read the bill but are against it
- If all 3 cases in Pennsylvania lead to convictions, do you plan on giving the Lt. Gov. there his reward money?
- Don’t ask me stupid questions, ridiculous
- Mayor Adler said SB 7 restricts voting access and is an unlawful intrusion into local affairs
- Gov. Patrick – Nothing in the bill about voter suppression, haven’t changed days, mail-in voting is the same, increasing hours on election days
