The ruling could disenfranchise low-income voters and voters of color as Covid-19 cases rise.
Texas voters who contract Covid-19 will need a doctor’s note in order to qualify for a last-minute absentee ballot, an appeals court
Friday, potentially disenfranchising low-income and minority voters as Covid-19 continues to spread in the Lone Star state.... [+]Under state law, Texas voters who apply for an absentee ballot less than 11 days before the election need a doctor to certify the voter has “a sickness or physical condition” that makes it infeasible to cast their ballot in person.
Voting advocacy group MOVE Texas sued the state to let those with Covid-19 vote absentee without a doctor’s note, arguing that requiring one would unlawfully burden and disenfranchise low-income voters and voters of color who don’t have access to medical care. The Texas Court of Appeals ruled that not requiring a note “would change the longstanding requirements governing late mail-in ballots and risk voter confusion,” overturning a lower court ruling that would have allowed for absentee ballots to be granted without a doctor’s authorization.a telemedicine program that connects voters with volunteer physicians who can certify their absentee ballot applications virtually if needed.5.2 million.
. Uninsured Texans make up 18.4% of the state population, and the state has the highest percentage of uninsured residents of any U.S. state.employers from requiring doctor’s notes from employees who have Covid-19, saying that the requirement would be impractical because medical offices “may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely manner” and most people who contract Covid-19 “have mild illness and can recover at home without medical care.
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