04-18-2020, 10:21 AM
On Friday, State district judge Tim Sulak of Travis County made official his bench ruling from Wednesday to allow voters to request mail-in ballots by citing the disability excuse allowed in the Texas election code.
Judge Sulak opened the door to a massive expansion of voting by mail in the state during elections affected by the pandemic. In his ruling, Sulak wrote that it was "reasonable to conclude" that "voting while the virus that causes COVID-19 is still in general circulation presents a likelihood of injuring" a voter's health.
So, while the judge's ruling doesn't change Texas's law that requires an excuse/justification for not going to the polls in-person, it does allow everyone in the state to use the pandemic as a legitimate excuse/justification to vote by mail under the current law. Progress.
Until now, voting by mail has been limited in the state. Texans seeking absentee ballots that they can fill out at home and mail in had to be 65 years or older, have a disability or illness, be out of the county during the election period, or be confined in jail.
Judge Sulak opened the door to a massive expansion of voting by mail in the state during elections affected by the pandemic. In his ruling, Sulak wrote that it was "reasonable to conclude" that "voting while the virus that causes COVID-19 is still in general circulation presents a likelihood of injuring" a voter's health.
So, while the judge's ruling doesn't change Texas's law that requires an excuse/justification for not going to the polls in-person, it does allow everyone in the state to use the pandemic as a legitimate excuse/justification to vote by mail under the current law. Progress.
Until now, voting by mail has been limited in the state. Texans seeking absentee ballots that they can fill out at home and mail in had to be 65 years or older, have a disability or illness, be out of the county during the election period, or be confined in jail.