Appeals court blocks order that required straight-ticket voting in Texas
A federal appeals court on Monday temporarily blocked a recent lower-court order that required Texas election officials to make straight-ticket voting available for the Nov. 3 election.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo of Laredo had ruled that a state law banning straight-ticket voting, which took effect Sept. 1, would require voters to spend much more time filling out their ballots, leading to longer lines at polling places that would endanger voters during a deadly pandemic.
“The longer voters stand in line, the greater the risk that they contract COVID-19. Texans already wait a long time to exercise their right to vote,” the judge wrote in an order released late Friday.
Attorney General Ken Paxton immediately asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to issue an emergency stay blocking enforcement of Garcia Marmolejo’s ruling while he prepared an appeal to overturn the order.
On Monday, the appeals court issued an administrative stay that blocked the ruling to give judges time to consider Paxton’s motion for an emergency stay. The court also ordered briefs on Paxton’s request to be submitted by noon Wednesday.
With early voting set to begin in two weeks, Garcia Marmolejo’s ruling had alarmed county election officials who have already finalized ballots and verified voting machine software.
Gov. Greg Abbott added six extra days of early voting, set to begin Oct. 13, to reduce polling place congestion during the pandemic. However, several GOP officials and activists, including Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Texas GOP Chairman Allen West, have asked the Texas Supreme Court to cancel the added days, arguing that Abbott lacked the authority to extend early voting.
https://www.statesman.com/news/20200928/appeals-court-blocks-order-that-required-straight-ticket-voting-in-texas
= new reply since forum marked as read
