President Obama threw down the gauntlet to Texas GOP lawmakers this week during a talk at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin. According to Obama, Texas leaders "aren't interested" in higher voter numbers, reports The Texas Tribune.The president claimed that the state’s Republican leadership has stifled voter turnout. He added that the public should do more to encourage online voting and other civic engagement.
President Obama spoke firmly, saying: “It is much easier to order pizza or a trip than . . . for you to exercise the single most important task in a democracy.” The president singled out a Texas policy that prohibits online voter registration. That law exists, he said, “because the folks who are currently governing the good state of Texas aren’t interested in having more people participate.”
Texas has found itself at the center of controversy over voting rights after facing criticism from over the state's voter ID laws.
