Judge says Texas mask mandate must extend to polling places

[groundloop]

Source: ABC News

USTIN, Texas -- A federal judge ruled that Texas' statewide mask mandate must include polling places, but election officials Wednesday did not rush to enforce the order that was handed down after more than 8 million people have already voted.

U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam, who was appointed last year by President Donald Trump, said not requiring face coverings in Texas polling places created a discriminatory burden on Black and Latino voters who are at higher risk of death and severe illness from the coronavirus.

(snip)

The ruling comes as COVID-19 cases are flaring again in Texas, which on Tuesday reported more than 5,500 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 — a more than 70% increase since the beginning of October. Along the U.S. border with Mexico, a record surge in coronavirus cases is pushing hospitals to the brink in the twin cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

“Making polling sites subject to the statewide mask mandate will not dissuade citizens from voting due to disruption, but will provide the opportunity to vote to an otherwise burdened class,” Pulliam wrote in his order Tuesday.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/judge-texas-mask-mandate-extend-polling-places-73884450?cid=clicksource_4380645_4_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

---

Of course the Texas Attorney General filed an appeal of this order, and many election administrators were ignoring it.

[stopdiggin]

1. exactly ZERO chance of ever being enforced

and thus -- interesting only in the sense of content as a legal argument.

[ResistantAmerican17]

2. Texas..... we are never going to crush the virus with Gov. shitbird in charge

[Skittles]

4. that man is just plain sickening

did you see where he really wanted social workers to be able to discriminate against LBGT and disabled folk? ABBOTT IS IN A WHEELCHAIR, WTF.

[ResistantAmerican17]

5. Of course--- typical for that puke. Just like getting rich off of

suing over a tree falling on him, then enacting lawsuit reform to make it impossible to win any significant award in personal injury trials. And don’t get me wound up about our fascist Texas supreme court that, until very recently, ruled 100% in favor of business/right wing interests over plaintiffs. It’s down to 98% now—-wow, I’m sooooo hopeful.

[Skittles]

3. it should be enforced, but the reasoning is flawed

the reason is to prevent the spread of Covid to ANYONE, not just the folk "at higher risk"

[Sherman A1]

6. Good

[JohnnyRingo]

7. How many Louie Gohmerts are there in Texas?

I think I see how he keeps getting reelected.