Source: Fox News
Summary
A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law banning paid ballot harvesting, reversing a lower court’s decision that had blocked the measure as unconstitutional. The law makes it a crime to be paid to interact with voters in person while they are filling out mail ballots in order to influence how they vote. Supporters argue that paid ballot collection creates opportunities for coercion or fraud, while opponents claim it disproportionately affects elderly and minority voters. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law is not unconstitutionally vague and does not violate the First Amendment.
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As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has weighed in on the constitutionality of Texas’ election law, and the ruling has upheld the ban on paid ballot harvesting. The court’s decision relies on the Supreme Court’s 2021 decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, which recognized the unique fraud risks associated with mail-in voting. The ruling is a significant win for Texas officials defending the state’s post-2020 election reforms. Voting rights groups may seek rehearing or ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.
The sequence of events has become familiar: a state passes a voting law, opponents challenge it in court, and the appeals process unfolds. In this case, the 5th Circuit’s ruling has reinforced the trend of giving states wide latitude to regulate election procedures.
