Trump Appointee Refuses to Entertain Measures to Make In-Person Voting Safer in Texas
Texas has very restrictive rules for absentee/mail-in voting, and the courts have repeatedly denied requests to relax those rules during the pandemic. On September 7, 2019, U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam, a Trump appointee, dismissed a lawsuit that claimed the polling place procedures in Texas place an unconstitutional burden on voters in the midst of a pandemic.
The lawsuit was brough by Mi Familia Vota, Texas NAACP and two Texas individual voters. The Plaintiffs requested one month of early voting, mandatory masks for everyone at polling locations, expanded ability to request curbside voting and additional voting locations to accommodate the numbers of voters.
Judge Pulliam stated that the requests of the Plaintiffs were not unreasonable and could “easily be implemented to ensure all citizens in the State of Texas feel safe and are provided the opportunity to cast their vote in the 2020 election”, and then he dismissed the lawsuit without even the option of a trial. He used a strategy common among conservative judges, which is to prevent plaintiffs who bring lawsuits from having their day in court by dismissing them for procedural reasons. In this case, the Judge said he didn’t have jurisdiction (legal authority) to hear the case, because this is a matter for the state. This is the same state where the governor, Greg Abbott, former Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, has threatened to free property tax revenue for Austin, Texas if they cut funding to their local police department. So much for local control – two conservatives talking out of both sides of their mouths.
The bottom line is that the reason we have so many voting restrictions in Texas is due to the elected officials we have. It doesn’t get better until we replace them. We are stuck with the voting rules we have, despite the pandemic. Mask up and know that Rideshare2Vote is here to get you to and from the voting center, free of charge and in a very safe way. Let people in communities of color know that we have drivers ready to go to get them there. Drivers will fully disinfect their vehicles, wear masks, and have vehicles fully ventilated. They will have hand sanitizer available as well.
Early voting starts October 13. Vote early and AVOID standing in lines on Election Day! Like us/follow us on social media. Support our mission to fight voter suppression by driving, donating, or volunteering in so many ways. Go to www.Rideshare2Vote.com to sign up today!
In the words of Beto O’Rourke: “We are the Cavalry”.
Keep Calm and Wear a Mask and Vote!
