Texas Democratic Party Sues Governor to Expand Mail-in Voting

The Texas Democratic Party filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott and Secretary of State Ruth Hughs demanding a vote-by-mail election because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in San Antonio, asserts that current law allows anyone whose health may be compromised by voting in person to vote by mail. Plaintiffs in the suit against the two Republican state officials are the Democratic Party and three voters.

“As we face the worst public health crisis in a century, neither Governor Abbott nor Secretary of State Hughes have issued concrete guidance to county election officials on whether voters can cast a mail-in ballot during the coronavirus pandemic,” Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a release announcing the lawsuit. “Republicans have opposed vote-by-mail without providing any credible justification.”

Neither the governor’s office nor the secretary of state’s office responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

To contact the reporter on this story: Paul Stinson in Austin, Texas at pstinson@bloomberglaw.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tina May at tmay@bloomberglaw.com; Karl Hardy at khardy@bloomberglaw.com