State Republicans' challenge to early voting creates turmoil, uncertainty for Fort Bend County elect
As if a global pandemic and warnings of a brain-eating parasite in a nearby community’s public water system weren’t enough cause for Fort Bend County officials to have concerns, a recent legal challenge to the state’s early voting dates recently created even more turmoil and uncertainty for election officials.
On Thursday, Oct. 1, just moments after Fort Bend County officials held a new conference to announce a new mega-voting site at Sugar Land’s Smart Financial Centre where voters could hand-deliver mail-in ballots and were caught off-guard when just moments later Gov. Greg Abbott announced new restrictions limiting counties to one location where voters can drop-off mail-in ballots.
The order went into effect Friday, Oct. 2, was put in place as an amendment to the July 27 order by Abbott that added six days of early voting and set aside a state law that restricts hand delivering mail-in ballots to Election Day only, measures meant to limit overcrowding and limits the potential spread of COVID-19. Abbott said the new restrictions were needed to protect election integrity.
“As we work to preserve Texans’ ability to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must take extra care to strengthen ballot security protocols throughout the state. These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting,” Abbott said in a statement.
https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/sugarland/news/article/State-Republicans-challenge-to-early-voting-15617525.php
