By Sam Ozer-Staton 

On Monday, a group of Texas Democratic lawmakers fled the state on a chartered plane, staging a dramatic exit to prevent the state legislature’s Republican majority from passing a restrictive voting measure.

The Texas Republicans’ bill, which advanced out of committee and to the floor of the House over the weekend, includes some of the most aggressive voting restrictions in the country. Among other provisions, the legislation would ban 24-hour voting and drive-through voting; add new voter identification requirements for voting by mail; increase the criminal penalties for election workers who make errors; and significantly expand the authority of partisan poll watchers.

Monday’s flight was not the first time that Texas Democrats have employed last-ditch tactics to prevent a roll-back of voting rights. In late May, they walked out of the Texas statehouse in an effort to deny their Republican colleagues a quorum.