The all-Republican Texas Supreme Court ruled yesterday their most populous county cannot mail ballot applications to all registered voters for the upcoming election.
According to The Hill, the elections administrator of Harris County, which includes Houston, cannot go through with a plan to mail ballot applications to all 2.4 million registered voters in the county.
“We, of course, take no side in these policy debates, which we leave to legislators and others. The question before us is not whether voting by mail is good policy or not, but what policy the Legislature has enacted. It is purely a question of law,” says the court.
The court feels as though it would cause confusion among voters but County Clerk Chris Hollins argues the mailers would have clear guidance on eligibility and would be a benefit to holding a safe election amid the pandemic.
“It is disappointing that the Court has sided with political forces seeking to limit voter access this November. Placing limitations on non-partisan outreach that educates citizens about their Constitutional right to vote should not be acceptable in a democracy,” says Hollins.
Texas is one of five states in the nation not allowing widespread mail-in voting. This option is generally limited to voters 65 years or older in the state.
The case is among several significant battles over voting in Texas that are still playing out in courts with four weeks until Nov. 3, reports Huffpost.
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