Texas governor extends deadlines for early voting and mail-in ballots

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a proclamation on Monday extending the early voting period for Texans casting ballots in the 2020 election and allowing more time for mail-in ballots to be delivered prior to Election Day.

Why it matters: President Trump has railed against the reliability of mail-in voting and claimed, without evidence, that the election will be rigged if widespread mail-in ballots are allowed. Early voting in Texas is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Oct. 13 through Friday, Oct. 30.

What they're saying: "As we respond to COVID-19, the State of Texas is focused on strategies that preserve Texans' ability to vote in a way that also mitigates the spread of the virus," Abbott said in a press release.

• "By extending the early voting period and expanding the period in which mail-in ballots can be hand-delivered, Texans will have greater flexibility to cast their ballots, while at the same time protecting themselves and others from COVID-19."

The bottom line: Texas has reported the most confirmed coronavirus cases outside of California, Florida and New York, per Johns Hopkins data.

Go deeper: Texas governor's net coronavirus approval rating falls 21 points as cases surge