The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a case attempting to overturn the age-based restrictions for mail-in voting in Texas.
Texas law stipulates that voters must cast their ballots in person, with exceptions for mail-in ballots being granted to those who are 65 years of age or older, disabled, out of the country, or more, as noted in a news release from the Office of Attorney General Ken Paxton.
A lawsuit filed in April 2020 alleged the law is in violation of the Constitution due to discrimination and should be removed to allow any person the opportunity to vote with a mail-in ballot.
Now, the Supreme Court has chosen not to hear the case, meaning Texas will be allowed to continue enforcing the law leading into the 2024 presidential election in November.
The lawsuit was brought forth by the Texas Democratic Party and a group of voters alleging that the mail-in voting laws are in violation of the Fourteenth and Twenty-Sixth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, according to Democracy Docket.
These parties argued that the mail-in restrictions are in violation due to a disproportionate effect on minority voters that could lead to racial discrimination.
A federal district court chose to then issue a preliminary injunction in 2020 to prevent Texas from pursuing criminal charges and denying ballots to those who wished to vote by mail but did not meet the requirements of the state law, per Democracy Docket.
However, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the injunction after an appeal and allowed the State to enforce the law and threaten criminal prosecution for those in violation.
The plaintiffs then filed two petitions to the Supreme Court, with the first asking for the court to reverse the Fifth Circuit ruling and the second requesting a writ of certiorari that would lead to the court hearing the case.
Both of these petitions were then denied by the Supreme Court, resulting in a major win for those who favor enforcing the mail-in restrictions outlined by Texas law.
Paxton applauded the decision by the Supreme Court, noting that his team has “worked tirelessly to keep our elections free and fair” and that there is “nothing more important than protecting the integrity of every legal vote.”
“Many states irresponsibly and unconstitutionally changed their voting policies prior to the 2020 election. Fortunately, we did things differently in Texas: we fought hard to uphold Texas law and defend the integrity of elections in this State,” he said in the release.
