HB1243 would increase the criminal penalty for illegal voting from a Class A misdemeanor to either a state jail felony for attempted illegal voting or second-degree felony for illegal voting.
The Texas State Senate passed HB1243 on May 24, 2023 by a vote of 19 to 11. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because increasing the penalty for voter fraud is a step in protecting election integrity. States should do all they can to protect the ballot box.