Texas (Supreme) court: Virus fear alone not enough for mail balloting

Chron ^ | 5/27/20 | Paul J. Weber and Jake Bleiberg

[Libloather]

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas officials fighting to block widespread mail-in voting during the pandemic claimed victory after the state's highest court ruled Wednesday that a lack of immunity to the coronavirus doesn't qualify someone to cast a ballot by mail.

The decision was unanimous by the Texas Supreme Court, which is stocked with nine Republican justices, including one who revealed last week that she had tested positive for COVID-19. Texas generally limits mail balloting only to voters who are over 65 years old or have a disability.

Justice Eva Guzman wrote the court was unified in the conclusion that “fear of contracting a disease is not a physical condition."

The Texas Democratic Party blasted the decision, and moved its hopes to a similar challenge playing out in federal court. But not all saw the decision as a total loss: the top elections lawyer in Houston, Harris County attorney Douglas Ray, said he believed the ruling leaves room for each voter to decide themselves whether they qualify, and gives clerks basically no ability to second-guess the reasoning.

[Libloather]

For the flu? Nah.

[a fool in paradise]

These same people without IDs who claim this is a burden to stand in a line in public to vote will be going to the grocery store this payday to buy beer.