A Texas bill allowing election judges to carry firearms at polling sites passed the state House on Wednesday.

House Bill 1128, introduced by Republican state Representative Carrie Isaac, would grant election judges the right to carry handguns while performing their official duties.

Newsweek contacted Isacc for comment on Thursday via online inquiry form outside regular office hours.

Why It Matters

After losing the 2020 election, President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that the vote was “rigged” against him through widespread voter fraud, though the allegation was repeatedly discredited in court. While studies have found that instances of voter fraud are rare, many continue to question the integrity and security of U.S. elections. As election workers face threats, several states have moved to introduce legislation to protect them.

What To Know

While Texas allows most adults to carry a handgun without a license, state law prohibits owners from bringing guns “on the premises of a polling place on the day of an election or while early voting is in progress.”

HB 1128 would amend that legislation, allowing handgun carriers to be armed if they are serving as election judges, who are responsible for maintaining peace and ensuring a safe environment at polling locations. It passed the House in a vote of 89-53.

The legislation codifies the position taken in 2018 by Attorney General Ken Paxton, who said that as election judges temporarily assume the authority of district judges they should be allowed to carry firearms in polling places, as district judges in Texas already are.

Paxton’s opinion was not legally binding and simply expressed his view of how a legal battle on the issue would go.

Election judges are appointed to settle election disputes and maintain order in polling stations, and typically have a team of polling workers under their authority. The legislation would not extend the right to carry arms in a polling station to other election workers.

During the debate, Isaac said that, according to the elections director for the Texas secretary of state, during the 2024 presidential election some Texas poll workers received bomb threats while others were physically assaulted, including with water bottles.

Consequently, Isaac argued, additional security was needed at polling stations, though critics have said that the presence of firearms could enflame any tense encounters.

What People Are Saying

Professor David Rosenbloom, an expert on gun violence, told Newsweek: “Arming election judges will not make Texas voting places safer or prevent partisan or racial voter intimidation. Election officials and voters will be better protected by laws and policies to prevent partisan poll watchers and unappointed individuals from harassing them and voters. Peace officers trained in de-escalation techniques are much more likely to prevent intimidation and violence than untrained election judges with a gun.”

Republican state Representative Carrie Isaac said on the House floor, per the Texas Tribune: “Some workers even quit mid-election out of fear for their safety. These are not isolated incidents. They are happening across Texas, and our workers are mostly volunteers giving their time to serve their communities. If we expect them to uphold the integrity of our elections, we must do our part.”

Democratic state Representative Maria Luisa Flores, according to the Texas Tribune: “Do you really think arming someone with a firearm to combat someone with a water bottle is not escalating the situation?”

What Happens Next

Having passed the House, the bill now heads to the state Senate for approval. If the Senate gives its consent, and the bill is signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott, it is scheduled to take effect on September 1.