Judge blocks Texas governor’s order closing remote ballot drop sites

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/10/texas-ballot-drop-box-ruling-428493

 

By JOSH GERSTEIN
10/10/2020 08:34 AM EDT

The state of Texas is appealing a federal judge’s ruling that overturned Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s order limiting absentee ballot drop-off sites to one per county.

In an order Friday night, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pitman said the “about-face” by Abbott threatened to disenfranchise disabled and elderly voters who would now have to travel longer distances to drop off their ballots. The judge also said postal service delays and changes created doubts about whether mailed ballots would arrive in time.

Analysts have said limiting large urban counties to one drop-off site could depress Democratic turnout in those strongholds while having little impact in more rural, conservative areas that lean toward the GOP.

.....