Eustorgia Santos de Torres, 67, of Alamo, said a Rio Grande Valley nonprofit, La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), helped her apply for citizenship and register to vote. She cast her first ballot as a citizen in last March's primary. Last month, she went to LUPE's office in San Juan for help with her husband's mail ballot. She said he is American-born and blind, and that the ballot is in English with small print. LUPE workers turned the couple away, the story said.
A 2021 Texas law, known as SB1, made it illegal to receive compensation for helping voters fill out their ballots. Groups said the law also covers practices such as giving volunteers gas money or stipends. A violation is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, has investigated and prosecuted voting rights groups and organizers in heavily Latino communities, the story said.
LUPE said it has changed some voter outreach because of the law. The group once sent workers door to door to help voters, but now asks volunteers to do more limited work. LUPE Executive Director Tania Chavez Camacho said the group helps about 30,000 people a year, including people with disabilities and older voters who want help voting by mail. She said the restrictions are a real pain point for the organization.