Breaking: The all-Republican Texas Supreme Court ruled that Harris County, the state’s most populous county and an important Democratic stronghold, can't send out applications for mail-in ballots to all of its registered voters. bit.ly/30ItubV
Texas sued in August to block County Clerk Chris Hollins from mailing the applications, arguing that doing so exceeded his legal authority and would cause confusion among voters, some of whom aren't eligible for mail-in ballots under Texas’ unusually strict criteria.
But Hollins argued that the planned mailers gave clear guidance on eligibility, and that encouraging absentee ballots where appropriate was integral to holding a safe election during the pandemic. bit.ly/3iFKXI0
Applications can be accessed online, and are often distributed by political campaigns, parties and other private organizations.
But the court ruled that for a government official to proactively send them oversteps his authority.
But the court ruled that for a government official to proactively send them oversteps his authority.
Turnout in Harris County, both major parties acknowledge, will have major impacts on races at the top of the ticket and the bottom of the ballot.
In 2018, 17% of the Democratic votes for Beto O’Rourke were cast in Harris County.
In 2018, 17% of the Democratic votes for Beto O’Rourke were cast in Harris County.
The county, home to 2.4 million registered voters, has made headlines recently in the wake of Gov. Greg Abbott's order to limit mail-in ballot drop-off locations to one per county, a move civil rights groups say will suppress voting. bit.ly/3leLr9U
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