Oct 10, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Judge blocks Texas limits to mail voting drop-off locations

Jacob Knutson

Election workers accept mail in ballot from voters in Houston on Oct. 7. Photo: Go Nakamura/Getty Images

A federal judge blocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's (R) Oct. 1 proclamation restricting voters to one location per county to drop off absentee ballots in the general election, NPR reports.

Why it matters: Abbott said he was attempting to protect election security by reducing the number of places where Texans could drop off mail ballots during early voting. State Democrats accused the governor of trying to suppress the vote by forcing voters to travel further and to more-crowded locations to drop their ballots.

U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman said in a 46-page opinion: “the public interest is not served by Texas’ continued enforcement of a proclamation plaintiffs have shown likely violates their fundamental right to vote.”

The big picture: The proclamation, which would have most heavily impacted the state’s biggest cities, also called on poll watchers "to observe any activity conducted at the early voting clerk’s office location related to the in-person delivery of a marked mail ballot.”

The state may appeal the ruling, according to NPR.

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Judge blocks Texas limits to mail voting drop-off locations

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