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A US JUDGE blocked an order from the Texas governor cutting the number of places voters can deliver ballots by mail for the November presidential election, which Democrats say amounted to voter suppression.
The order, issued in early October by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, limited the number of delivery centers to one per county, even as voting by mail is expected to become much more popular due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The measure would help curb “illegal voting,” Abbott had said, in line with views expressed by President Donald Trump, who frequently asserts without evidence that postal ballots are a source of massive voter fraud.
But in a decision published yesterday after a challenge by advocates of the right to vote, federal judge Robert Pitman blocked the order, arguing that it “restricts the rights of some voters, those who qualify to vote absentee in larger, more populous counties. “.
The order also added to voter confusion, according to Pitman’s 46-page decision, and would force voters to travel further to cast their ballot and wait in longer lines to vote, increasing the risks of exposure. to the virus.
Claims that the order would reduce electoral fraud had “no factual support,” he added.
Texas, a Republican stronghold, but where Democrat Joe Biden threatens, has some of the most populous counties in the country. More than 2.3 million voters live in Harris County, which includes Houston.
According to Abbott’s order, 11 of its 12 delivery points had been scheduled to close.
Texas Democrats tweeted that blocking the order was a “great victory for Texas voters.”
“Frankly, it should come as a shock to all of us that such a decision is required,” said Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, according to the local Austin American-Statesman newspaper.
The state attorney general is likely to appeal the ruling, he added.
Votes by mail can be dropped off in dedicated ballot boxes as an alternative to using the postal service under pressure.
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The practice is considered safer for the elderly and others at higher risk for Covid-19 if they go to a polling station.
Aside from isolated incidents, no serious studies have reported major fraud related to vote-by-mail ballots in US elections.
Voting by mail was widespread during the 2016 presidential race, where nearly a quarter of the votes (33 million) were sent by mail.
– © AFP 2020
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