NEW: Texas judge lifts order by Republican Gov. Abbott that limited counties to a single drop-off location for absentee ballots in the Nov. 3 presidential election, siding with Democrats who have denounced the limit as voter suppression.
“The limitation to a single drop-off location for mail ballots would likely needlessly and unreasonably increase risks of exposure to COVID-19 infections, and needlessly and unreasonably substantially burden voters’ constitutionally protected rights to vote,” said state court judge Tim Sulak, who sits in Austin, in a short written order.Oct.
The fight between Republicans and Democrats over absentee ballots has become a defining issue of the 2020 election. Absentee voting is expected to surge due to the coronavirus pandemic. Texas is one of a few U.S. states that limits who can request absentee ballots: Only voters who are over the age of 65, have a disability, are confined to a jail or will be out of town on Election Day can vote by mail.
Trump and his fellow Republicans have sought to limit drop boxes in many states, arguing without evidence that they couldDemocrats have promoted drop boxes as a reasonable and reliable option for voters who do not want to risk voting in person during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it also reduces the possibility of U.S. Postal Service delivery problems.
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