Texas Voting Rights: Attorney General Powers Amendment

Texas is proposing a change to its constitution that would give the attorney general new power over election law crimes. Right now, only county and district attorneys can prosecute people who break our state's election laws. This proposal would let the attorney general step in and help with these cases too.

The amendment adds a new rule to Article IV, Section 22 of the Texas Constitution. It says the attorney general would have "concurrent jurisdiction" with local prosecutors. That means the attorney general could work alongside them, not instead of them. Local prosecutors would still handle election crimes, but they would not be alone.

This change matters because election laws protect our right to vote fairly. When someone breaks these laws, we need prosecutors ready to take action. Having the attorney general involved gives our state another layer of power to enforce election rules and catch crimes quickly across the whole state.

If voters approve this amendment, it will be official. Texas voters will decide on May 2, 2026 whether to make this change to the constitution. This gives us all a chance to weigh in on how our state handles election crimes and protects our voting system.