Texas Scorecard by Erin Anderson June 15, 2022
The ruling rejects an interpretation by Democrats suing to block anti-solicitation provisions in the state’s new election integrity law.A Texas Supreme Court ruling on what it means to “solicit” mail-ballot applications rejects an interpretation sought by Democrats suing to block new election integrity laws that punish officials who push people to vote by mail.
Friday’s ruling responds to questions sent to the state’s high court by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The appeals court is reviewing a preliminary injunction in Longoria v. Paxton, a federal lawsuit that pits Harris County’s disgraced Democrat Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria against Texas’ Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Longoria’s lawsuit involves a “pre-enforcement” challenge to two Texas Election Code provisions enacted last year as part of Senate Bill 1, also known as the Election Integrity Protection Act of 2021.
Under one new section of the code (276.016), which took effect last December, it’s a felony if a public or election official acting in an official capacity knowingly “solicits the submission of an application to vote by mail from a person who did not request an application.”
Another new section (31.129) creates a civil penalty for officials who violate the anti-solicitation law.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that “soliciting” voters to submit mail-in ballot applications includes seeking applications from voters who are ineligible to vote by mail or who don’t request an application.
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/texas-supreme-court-rules-on-soliciting-mail-ballot-applications/
