According to article on The Hill, Texas District Judge Tim Sulak of Travis County ruled to expand the definition of “disability” to include folks concerned with acquiring coronavirus while voting.
“Today is a victory for all Texans,” Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement. “The right to vote is central to our democracy.”
“Our state is better off when more Texans participate in our democracy,” the statement added. “Voting by mail is safe, secure, and accessible. It allows more voters to participate in our democracy, and it’s a commonsense way to run an election, especially during a public health crisis.”
Of course, Texas officials, mostly lead by GOP incumbents, will appeal the ruling. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton immediately responded:
“Mail ballots based on disability are specifically reserved for those who are physically ill and cannot vote in-person as a result,” Paxton said in a statement. “Fear of contracting COVID-19 does not amount to a sickness or physical condition as required by the Legislature.”
IANAL so I don’t know the path of appeals in Texas and whether it will reach the U.S. Supreme Court as happened in Wisconsin. At least for now we have a path to mail in absentee ballots. Hope we can win this battle in courts.
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Updated to remove incorrect attribution.