Texas Election Law Ruling
On Wednesday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated significant components of Texas election law, marking a considerable win for the state after a lengthy five-year legal struggle with multiple lower court reversals.
The court’s 11-page decision overturned a prior ruling that had blocked nine provisions of Senate Bill 1, a law enacted in 2021 which modified regulations surrounding mail-in voting and voter assistance in Texas.
During the litigation, which spanned nearly five years, the appeals court observed that it “reversed the district court on everything.” It’s kind of striking to think about how many times this case has been taken up and tossed around.
“While most of the plaintiffs’ claims fail for lack of standing, and one of them fails on the merits, nothing justifies interference with the Legislature’s efforts to prevent voter fraud and protect election integrity,” stated Judge Andrew Oldham in his opinion.
The reestablished rules include requirements that mail-in voters must provide an identification number or Social Security number on their ballot applications, which must align with state records. Additionally, there’s now a process for rectifying defective ballots, and both voters and those assisting them must sign an affidavit affirming that there is no coercion involved.
This particular rule had faced pushback earlier. A district judge had blocked it in March 2025 due to concerns raised about accessibility, especially for voters with disabilities who argued that these stipulations made voting challenging and possibly violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Texas does allow several demographics to vote by mail, such as voters aged 65 and older and individuals with certain disabilities.
The appeals court found that nearly all challenges raised by various groups lacked legal standing and dismissed many outright.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was named as a defendant in the case, expressed his support for the ruling, calling it a “huge victory” on social media.
Senate Bill 1 was passed in 2021 after intense debate around election regulations, particularly targeting some voting practices that were implemented in Harris County during the COVID-19 pandemic. Opposition arose from Democratic lawmakers, civil rights organizations, and voting advocacy groups, even leading Texas House Democrats to attempt blocking it by breaking quorum.
It’s notable that since the law was enforced, the percentage of mail-in ballots rejected due to incorrect applications or identification numbers has notably dropped from 11% to 2.7%. This does raise some questions about the effectiveness of the laws in practice, doesn’t it?
