“I Voted” stickers
AUSTIN — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed a federal district court ruling that upheld challenges to key provisions of Texas’ Election Integrity Act, which requires an ID for mail-in ballots.
“It has long been established that mail-in ballots are prone to fraud,” the court’s opinion states. “That is why voting by mail jeopardizes election integrity and democracy itself. In this case, the district court held that nine provisions of S.B. 1 were inconsistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
“We disagree and reverse.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is calling the ruling a victory, one earned by his office.
Paxton
“My office has worked tirelessly to secure this legal victory for election integrity by safeguarding mail-in ballots and enforcing other critical safeguards in Texas,” Paxton said. “Fair and honest elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. I will continue to defend Texas laws that protect lawful voters, deter fraud, and ensure Texans can trust our elections.”
In 2021, the Texas Legislature enacted Senate Bill 1 to strengthen election integrity, protect ballot secrecy, deter fraud, and safeguard the security of Texas elections, particularly in the mail-in voting process.
Across multiple appeals, Paxton has successfully defended different provisions of SB 1 in the Fifth Circuit.
The provisions challenged in the case require voters casting ballots by mail to provide an identification number or Social Security number that matches state records. It also includes provisions giving voters multiple opportunities to correct certain defects with their mail-in ballots.
Paxton says SB 1 further strengthens protections surrounding voter assistance to prevent coercion and intimidation at the polling place.
Individuals who assist voters must sign an oath affirming that they did not coerce or intimidate the voter, disclose their relationship to the voter, and state whether they received compensation from a candidate, campaign, or political committee.
According to the Office of the Attorney General, Paxton has led a years-long legal battle to defend Texas’s election integrity laws and protect safeguards designed to preserve the security of the ballot box.
Paxton previously successfully upheld Texas’s ban on compensated “vote harvesting services” intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure. The law prohibits this activity when conducted in person and in the physical presence of an official ballot or a voted mail ballot.
The attorney general says he will continue to vigorously defend Texas laws that protect lawful voters, prevent fraud, and preserve public confidence in election outcomes.
Case: No. 25-50246
