Texas Supreme Court: Lack of immunity to coronavirus alone isn't enough for mail-in ballot
Source: The Texas Tribune
The Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a lack of immunity to the new coronavirus does not qualify a voter to apply for a mail-in ballot.
In the latest twist in the legal fight over voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, the court agreed with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that the risk of contracting the virus alone does not meet the states qualifications for voting by mail.
We agree with the State that a voters lack of immunity to COVID-19, without more, is not a disability as defined by the Election Code, the court wrote.
Texas voters can qualify for mail-in ballots only if they are 65 years or older, have a disability or illness, will be out of the county during the election period, or are confined in jail. The Texas election code defines disability as a sickness or physical condition that prevents a voter from appearing in person without the risk of injuring the voters health.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/27/texas-vote-by-mail-coronavirus/
Link to full decision: In re State of Texas (No. 20-0394)
pwb
(11,205 posts)Please continue.
Sanity Claws
(21,822 posts)bucolic_frolic
(42,676 posts)And while you're at it lame brains, shelter in place for months is like being in jail.
turbinetree
(24,632 posts)aggiesal
(8,864 posts)That takes care of that.
maxsolomon
(32,992 posts)There's simply no explanation for not going to mail-in but GOP intransigence.
High turnout is a conservative's nightmare.
roamer65
(36,739 posts)If they dont allow vote by mail during a pandemic, the electors for TX should be annulled.
BadGimp
(4,009 posts)As a Senior and an American Citizen, I'm now convinced the GOP does not care if I get sick and die trying to cast my vote. I suspect a lot of us feel the same, in fact, I think we are legion.
SergeStorms
(18,903 posts)There have never been long lines in my voting precinct, to the contrary, I'm usually in and out in 10 minutes. But I'm not taking any chances this time. Like you said, why even take a chance of contracting the virus when I don't have to? I live in a blue state and Trump will get creamed here anyway.
dlk
(11,438 posts)They are all Republicans and each one supremely awful in their own special way:
Nathan Hecht
Jane Bland
Jeffrey Boyd
Brett Busby
LeftInTX
(24,560 posts)I guess it doesn't matter....
FBaggins
(26,697 posts)There's a difference between good public policy and legal analysis.
Just because voting by mail may be a good policy response, that doesn't mean that existing laws were written to accommodate it. "I'm not immune to X" isn't really a "disability" by itself under laws I've seen.
jgmiller
(383 posts)The law in Texas is clear and that's what their supreme court is saying. I have no problem with this ruling. Should the law be changed, sure I think so but it hasn't been so they've ruled correctly.