In the federal courts, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery granted a preliminary injunction that said anyone in Texas who wants to vote by mail to avoid transmission of the virus could qualify for a mail-in ballot.
In multiple states that do not regularly allow all voters to vote by mail, state officials have recently expanded voting by mail due to the pandemic or allowed voters to use the coronavirus as a reason to vote by mail during the upcoming elections.
Voters who will not be in the county where they registered on the election day and during the entire early voting period can also request a ballot by mail.
In multiple lawsuits, individual voters, state Democrats and civic organizations are asking the courts to clarify whether a lack of immunity to the new coronavirus is a valid reason for people to request absentee ballots under the Texas election code’s disability qualification.
Under Texas’ election code, an absentee ballot can be delivered to the county clerk’s office by mail or dropped off in person on the day of the election with a valid form of ID.
