Appeals Court Halts Ruling to Allow Texans Afraid of Catching COVID-19 to Vote By Mail

A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a Texas federal judge’s ruling that all of the state’s 16 million voters can request absentee mail-in ballots

Voters enter and exit the Austin City Hall during the presidential primary in Austin, Texas, on Super Tuesday on March 3, 2020. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images

A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a Texas federal judge’s ruling that all of the state’s 16 million voters can request absentee mail-in ballots during the CCP virus pandemic if they have health concerns.

The 5th U.S. Circuit of Appeals on Wednesday temporarily put on hold District Judge Fred Biery’s Tuesday ruling that all registered voters who “lack immunity from COVID-19 and fear infection at polling places” would be able to cast a ballot by mail under the “disability” provision in the state’s vote-by-mail election code.