Fears that millions of votes could be suppressed are popping up in states across the country, but perhaps nowhere more than Texas — a surprise battleground state where Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden appears to be in a close race with President Trump.
The longtime Republican stronghold, which is home to some 30 million people and the second most electoral votes in the country, sports some of the strictest voting laws in the U.S.
Texas only allows its registered voters to vote absentee if they are 65 or older, incarcerated but otherwise eligible to vote, or can cite a disability.
Texas Democrats have opened multiple legal cases against the state in an attempt to relax restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, but these efforts have largely been to no avail.
While Gov. Greg Abbott (R) extended early voting by a week and made it possible for Texans to turn in by-mail ballots before Election Day, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that lack of immunity to COVID-19 doesn’t qualify as a bona fide disability.
Additionally, a federal appeals court panel in September rejected the Texas Democratic Party’s argument that the state’s 65-plus age requirement was unconstitutional because it violated the 26th Amendment’s protections against voting rules that discriminate based on age. The case is most likely headed to the Supreme Court — where it was rejected earlier in the summer as the justices wanted to see the lower court’s decision first — but it is unclear if it will be taken up before Election Day.
On Wednesday, the state Supreme Court ruled that Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins couldn’t send absentee ballots to all of the county’s registered voters.
This decision comes on the heels of Abbott signing an executive order last week that limits each county in the state to have just one location where mail-in ballots can be dropped off.
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The ramifications of Abbott’s decision, if it is not reversed, could be palpable and felt statewide.
Houston, the fourth largest city in the U.S., is located in Harris County and a crucial foothold for Democrats. The massive county went from having a dozen ballot drop-off locations to having just one. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission says that local governments should have one ballot drop-off location for every 15,000-20,000 registered voters.
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The longtime Republican stronghold, which is home to some 30 million people and the second most electoral votes in the country, sports some of the strictest voting laws in the country. https://t.co/ZHbquC7eoP
— The Hill (@thehill) October 8, 2020
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) October 10, 2020
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