• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Texas Drive-Through Voting Upheld as Judge Blocks Republican Bid To Reject Ballots

Texas Drive-Through Voting Upheld as Judge Blocks Republican Bid To Reject Ballots

November 2, 2020
State Department Authorizes Middle East Evacuations As Iran Speculation Swirls

State Department Authorizes Middle East Evacuations As Iran Speculation Swirls

June 11, 2025
Maxine Waters Blames Trump For LA Violence She Previously Claimed Wasn’t Even Happening

Maxine Waters Blames Trump For LA Violence She Previously Claimed Wasn’t Even Happening

June 11, 2025
FBI Admits What Its Fmr Director Wouldn’t Say About Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal

FBI Admits What Its Fmr Director Wouldn’t Say About Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal

June 11, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Right Thing To Do’: Thune Goes To Mat For Medicaid Reforms In ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Right Thing To Do’: Thune Goes To Mat For Medicaid Reforms In ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill

June 11, 2025
Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson Dies at 82

Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson Dies at 82

June 11, 2025
REP MICHAEL CLOUD: It’s Time To Get Serious About Ending Washington’s Wasteful Spending

REP MICHAEL CLOUD: It’s Time To Get Serious About Ending Washington’s Wasteful Spending

June 11, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Conservative Groups Urge Senate To Finally Confirm Trump’s IRS Chief, Root Out Obama-Era Deep Staters

EXCLUSIVE: Conservative Groups Urge Senate To Finally Confirm Trump’s IRS Chief, Root Out Obama-Era Deep Staters

June 11, 2025
Trump Admin Moves To Blow Up Biden’s Assault On America’s Power Grid

Trump Admin Moves To Blow Up Biden’s Assault On America’s Power Grid

June 11, 2025
‘What A Stupid Question’: Karoline Leavitt Clashes With Reporter As She Attempts To Trip Her Up Over Riots

‘What A Stupid Question’: Karoline Leavitt Clashes With Reporter As She Attempts To Trip Her Up Over Riots

June 11, 2025
Take A Look At The Newest List Of Illegals ICE Nabbed In Riot-Plagued Los Angeles

Take A Look At The Newest List Of Illegals ICE Nabbed In Riot-Plagued Los Angeles

June 11, 2025
Justice Department Paves Way To Rein In Federal Land Grabs

Justice Department Paves Way To Rein In Federal Land Grabs

June 11, 2025
Vince Coglianese Grills Rand Paul Over ‘Goose-Stepping’ Comments About Massive DC Army Parade

Vince Coglianese Grills Rand Paul Over ‘Goose-Stepping’ Comments About Massive DC Army Parade

June 11, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Texas Drive-Through Voting Upheld as Judge Blocks Republican Bid To Reject Ballots

by Reuters
November 2, 2020 at 5:56 pm
in News
242 10
2
Texas Drive-Through Voting Upheld as Judge Blocks Republican Bid To Reject Ballots

Election worker processes mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day in Houston, Texas, U.S., November 2, 2020. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A federal judge in Texas on Monday denied an attempt by Republicans to throw out about 127,000 votes already cast in the U.S. presidential election at drive-through voting sites in Houston, a Democratic-leaning area.

The plaintiffs had accused Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, a Democrat, of acting illegally when he allowed drive-through voting as an alternative during the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen said the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the case. “I find that when you balance the harms you’ve got to weigh in favor of counting the votes,” he added.

The judge also faulted the plaintiffs for waiting until Oct. 28 to file their case in his court even though drive-through voting was used without challenge in July primary runoffs.

“Didn’t we test this in the primaries this summer?,” Hanen said during a three-hour hearing, adding: “Why am I just getting this case?”

Jared Woodfill, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told reporters they will appeal to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. They will also appeal a similar loss in state court on Sunday to the U.S. Supreme Court, Woodfill said.

Hollins told reporters that drive-through voting sites in Harris County, which includes Houston, would be open on Election Day as scheduled. “This is a huge win for democracy, especially at a time when it appears that democracy itself is on the ballot,” Hollins said.

Harris County, home to about 4.7 million people, is the third-most populous county in the United States. It currently has 10 drive-through polling sites available to all voters among 800 total voting places.

Texas, the second-largest U.S. state, is traditionally a Republican stronghold but polls show a tight race this year between President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden with more than 9 million ballots already cast, eclipsing the state’s total turnout in the 2016 presidential election.

The Texas Supreme Court on Sunday rejected a nearly identical bid by the same plaintiffs, who include conservative activist Steve Hotze and judicial candidate Sharon Hemphill, to halt drive-through voting in Harris County. The same court also previously denied similar challenges brought by the Texas Republican Party and the Harris County Republican Party.

The lawsuits asserted that the county did not have the authority to decide election procedures and that drive-through voting violated the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause because voters in other Texas counties do not have the chance to take part in drive-through voting.

Hundreds of legal challenges have been brought in the months leading up to Tuesday’s Election Day over how Americans can cast their ballots. Democrats have generally tried to ease access to mail-in and other alternatives to in-person voting, while Trump has repeatedly made unfounded attacks on mail-in voting, claiming it leads to fraud.

In Nevada, a judge on Monday dealt another setback to Republicans who had filed a lawsuit claiming ballot-counting measures in Clark County, home to Las Vegas, were plagued by problems. The ruling found the plaintiffs lacked standing and had failed to present evidence that the procedures had led to counting of fraudulent votes.

‘MAKE OR BREAK TEXAS’

Biden’s campaign praised Hanen’s ruling, saying in a statement that it reflects a “victory for voters across the country who are exercising their constitutional right to make their voices heard.”

In Houston, Sarah and Dan Jones were among protesters outside the federal courthouse on Monday morning, and they brought their four children, ages 10 to six months.

They voted at a drive-through site a few weeks ago and found out Saturday their ballots were being challenged, they said.

“I’ve never felt so important in my life,” said Sarah Jones, 32. “Harris County can make or break Texas.”

Both voted for Biden. Dan Jones, 38, said he also voted for Hemphill, one of the plaintiffs.

“I voted for her, and she’s trying to get my ballot thrown out,” he said.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe and Jennifer Hiller; Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Alistair Bell, Noeleen Walder, and Cynthia Osterman)

Tags: 2020 Congressional Elections2020 Presidential Election
Share196Tweet123
Reuters

Reuters

Reuters is an international news organization.

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th