Texas Governor Greg Abbott's October 1st proclamation closing all ballot drop sites but one per county has been temporarily blocked by a State District Court Judge in Travis County. State District Judge Tim Sulak ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed by the Central Division of the Anti-Defamation League (CDADL) challenging the Governor's order. Sulak issued a temporary injunction blocking Governor Abbott's proclamation until November 9th, well after Election Day.
In his decision, Sulak wrote "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 potential voters' constitutionally protected rights to vote, as a consequence of increased travel and delays, among other things."
CDADL Vice President Cheryl Drazin said the Judge's decision means that "Texans will have safe and accessible voting during a pandemic…It's just crucial to holding a fair election particularly under the current circumstances."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was quick to respond to the Judge's ruling issuing the following statement: "We disagree with the district court's order and our office has filed a notice of appeal, which stays the trial court's order."
The Judge's decision comes just three days after a federal appeals court upheld Governor Abbott's order.
