Texas Supreme Court: Lack of immunity to coronavirus alone isn’t enough for mail-in ballot

The Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a lack of immunity to the new coronavirus does not qualify a voter to apply for a mail-in ballot.

In the latest twist in the legal fight over voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, the court agreed with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that the risk of contracting the virus does not meet the state’s qualifications for voting by mail.

“We agree with the State that a voter’s lack of immunity to COVID-19, without more, is not a ‘disability’ as defined by the Election Code,” the court wrote. “But the State acknowledges that election officials have no responsibility to question or investigate a ballot application that is valid on its face.”

Story by Alexa Ura of The Texas Tribune.