Texans with disabilities fear new restrictions on voting help could mean criminal charges at the

Texans with disabilities fear new restrictions on voting help could mean criminal charges at the polls


Nancy Crowther needs an aide around the clock to help her with meals and other daily household tasks. Her personal attendant of three years lives with her in Austin.

Crowther, 63, would also like her attendant to help her cast a ballot in the primaries. Crowther has spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive neuromuscular disorder that makes it difficult for her to reach the touch screen at the polling booth. She also uses a wheelchair that limits her mobility around polling places.

But even though Crowther says she trusts her attendant to respect her voter privacy, Texans with disabilities — and attendants who get compensation for assisting a voter — could face criminal penalties under new voting legislation.

“We don’t want to jeopardize our attendants, but we want to be able to vote, but we need our attendants’ help, so we’re in a Catch-22,” Crowther said. “It’s a bigger swath of the voting populace that will be scared off and what will happen is that people will not vote. But I’m not going to give in to that.”

Read more: https://www.sacurrent.com/sanantonio/texans-with-disabilities-fear-new-restrictions-on-voting-help-could-mean-criminal-charges-at-the-polls/Content?oid=28194615