Representative Julie Johnson (D-TX) is continuing to combat voter disenfranchisement in Texas after her bipartisan Voter Outreach for Transparent Elections (VOTE) Act passed out of the Committee on House Administration last week in Washington, D.C., unanimously.
Although originally introduced in January, Rep. Johnson resurrected the push for this bill after the March primary elections in Dallas County, Texas, when several vote centers were eliminated, requiring all voters to cast ballots only in their assigned precincts on Election Day.
Many voters arrived at these closed vote centers ready to cast their votes, unaware that any changes had been made. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) said the VOTE Act, an amendment to the Help America Vote Act of 2002, is a direct response to this lack of clarity.
“While Dallas County did everything in its power to inform voters about polling place changes, confusion was a predictable outcome,” Rep. Morelle said, adding that a federal standard for voter notification is necessary ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
In response to this confusion, a court-ordered extension was issued so voters could have extra time. However, Rep. Johnson said roughly 1,700 ballots were not counted.
The VOTE Act would require voters to be notified by mail or phone of their new polling location at least seven days before Election Day, and election offices would be required to post about these changes both online and at physical locations.
“People should know where to go, you know, we shouldn't have a problem telling people where their voting locations and polling sites are,” Rep. Johnson told Texas Politics.
But this issue is not unique to Texas.
Rep. Johnson pointed to procedural changes, new documentation requirements and other new restrictions in several states that she said risk disenfranchising voters.
“Across the country, we have seen confusion around polling place changes and election administration create unnecessary barriers for voters,” Rep. Johnson said. “They deserve certainty and clarity, not confusion.”
The bill passed with unanimous bipartisan support, which Rep. Johnson said proves it to be a crucial part in ensuring all voters can be heard while combatting democratic distrust. Confusion on when and how to vote can often cause voters to give up entirely, she said.
“When voters arrive at the polls and are told the rules have changed, confidence in elections erode,” Rep. Johnson said. “Our democracy works best when every eligible voter has a clear and accessible path to cast a ballot—and I will always fight to protect that fundamental right.”
