Texas judge allows Harris County to send all voters applications for mail-in ballots

by Alexa Ura, Texas Tribune


A state district judge on Friday ruled that Harris County can move forward with its plan to send every registered voter an application to request a mail-in ballot for the November general election.

Two days after a video conference hearing, Judge R.K. Sandill rejected the Texas attorney general’s request for a temporary injunction blocking the plan. In his ruling, Sandill shot down the state's claim that Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins was acting outside of his authority by sending out the applications and that the move would harm voters.

"The Legislature has spoken at length on the mechanisms for mail-in voting. There are no fewer than 42 Election Code provisions on the subject," Sandill wrote. "In those provisions, the Legislature has made clear that in order to vote by mail a voter first 'must make an application for an early voting ballot.' But, as to how the voter is to obtain the application, the Election Code is silent."

The judge’s order, which is certain to be appealed by the state, means Harris County can proactively send out applications — which voters would otherwise have to request or find online — to all 2.4 million registered voters on the county’s voter roll. The county previously agreed to wait for five days after Sandill’s ruling to begin mailing out the applications.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/11/texas-mail-in-ballot-applications-harris-county/