Texas Governor Limits Ballot Drop-Off Locations, Local Officials Vow To Fight Back

Enlarge this image


Jonathan Lucero and Valeria Gutierrez prepare to receive ballots at the El Paso County Courthouse during the presidential primary in March.





Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images



hide caption



toggle caption


Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images



2020 Election: Secure Your Vote
Trump’s Calls For Poll Watchers Raise Fears About Voter Intimidation



2020 Election: Secure Your Vote
Fewer People May Vote By Mail Than Expected. That Could Mean Election Day ‘Chaos’

«This is a deliberate attempt to manipulate the election, she said. «If the governor was truly worried about this, he could have stopped this program more than a month ago or contacted the urban counties that are all doing the same thing Travis County is doing.

In response to the governor’s order, Texas Democrats called Republicans «cheaters.

«Republicans are on the verge of losing, so Gov. Abbott is trying to adjust the rules last minute, Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement. «Governor Abbott and Texas Republicans are scared. We are creating a movement that will beat them at the ballot box on November 3, and there’s nothing these cheaters can do about it.

While the state has long been a Republican stronghold, polls show the race between President Trump and Democrat Joe Biden to be extremely close. Democrats are hoping to make substantial gains in both U.S. House and state legislative races this fall.



2020 Election: Secure Your Vote

Austin’s lone Democratic congressman, Lloyd Doggett, called Abbott’s order an «outrageous act of voter suppression aimed at affecting the election.

«This sabotage is not about election security, he said in a statement, «it is about Republican political insecurity. With over a month to return your ballot, voting by mail remains the safest way to participate.

Houston Public Media reporter Andrew Schneider contributed to this story.