Most states have extended mail-in ballots to all voters during this year’s primaries because of the pandemic. But Texas and Mississippi have not.
The court refused to block a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which had ruled that all voters do not have to be allowed to vote by mail. Texas gives that option only to voters age 65 and older.
The state’s Democratic Party challenged that policy, warning that younger voters would “be forced to either risk contracting COVID-19 during in-person voting or relinquish their right to vote at all.”
NEW: Supreme Court turns down request from Texas Democrats to allow everyone in the state to vote by mail, not just those over 65 pic.twitter.com/wuQGXnTJhS
— Adam Liptak (@adamliptak) June 26, 2020
NEWS: The Supreme Court on Friday denied a request from Texas Democrats to expand access to vote-by-mail in the state amid the coronavirus pandemic. via @Arianedevogue
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 26, 2020