Federal judge orders expansion of mail-in voting in Texas

PAUL J. WEBER

5 years ago

In this Monday, April 20, 2020 photo, inventory clerk Teresa Barajas, left, and warehouse supervisor Maribel Juarez work on elections business as part of a skeleton staff, as the department navigates elections during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Cameron County Elections Department in Brownsville, Texas. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald via AP)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge has ordered Texas to allow any of the state’s 16 million voters to cast a ballot by mail over fears of the coronavirus.

The ruling Tuesday paves the way for what would be one of the most dramatic expansions of mail-in voting in the country.

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who says fear of catching the virus doesn’t meet the standard to vote by mail, says he’ll appeal. Texas will hold primary runoff elections in July.