Texas legislators have approved arrest warrants for Democratic legislators who fled the state in a bid to deny the legislature a quorum and thereby block a redistricting effort.

The vote was 85-6 and empowered the sergeant at arms to send for absent lawmakers "under warrant of arrest, if necessary." The move comes as part of a special redistricting session in which Republicans hope to present a new congressional map that will add a number of Republican-leaning districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Whether the sergeant at arms will successfully secure enough Democrats to reach a quorum and allow for the bill's passage remains to be seen. Gov. Greg Abott, R-Texas, has since officially ordered the arrests of the absent Democrats, The Hill reported.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, for his part, vowed to pursue legal action against the absent Democrats, calling the move a "cowardly desertion of their responsibilities as elected officials."

Ohio is also expected to implement redistricting this year and several Democratic states have threatened to do so in response.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.