Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says tighter restrictions on mail-in ballot procedures will deter voter fraud
Abbott has declared ‘election security’ an emergency legislative item, but critics say it’s more about voter suppression than fraud.
AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott wants to clamp down on mail-in ballot procedures as he navigates a fine line in pursuing state legislation to deter voter fraud in the aftermath of insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
One day after declaring “election security” an emergency item for the Texas Legislature to consider this year, Abbott declined on Tuesday to endorse claims by former President Donald Trump and many of his supporters that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
November 3, 2020, 12:23 AM)
Demonstrators stand across the street from the federal courthouse in Houston, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, before a hearing in federal court involving drive-thru ballots cast in Harris County. The lawsuit was brought by conservative Texas activists, who have railed against expanded voting access in Harris County, in an effort to invalidate nearly 127,000 votes in Houston because the ballots were cast at drive-thru polling centers established during the pandemic.
Updated 12:22 a.m. CT Tuesday
A federal judge in Houston dismissed a lawsuit challenging the legality of drive-thru voting, which aimed to invalidate the 127,000 votes cast through Harris County’s 10 drive-thru voting locations.
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Reaction to the ruling
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said while this is a win for democracy, he firmly offered that this should have never gotten to this point: The ruling to let the nearly 127,000 drive-thru votes stand was the correct decision but it doesn t change a simple fact: This should have never been an issue in the first place. Texans who lawfully voted at drive through locations should have never had to fear that their votes wouldn t be counted and their voices wouldn t be heard. This lawsuit was shameful and it should have never seen the light of day. Once again, Texas Republicans sought to threaten Texans right to vote and they lost, but this election is not over. We must send them a message and vote them out. The future of our state is entirely in our hands now. The only thing that matters now is voting. Texas Democrats, we must create the wave necessary to win back our state and our country. If we vote, we will win this election. Get your friends,