Attorney General Ken Paxton has emerged victorious from a years-long legal battle over Texas’ mail-in voting rules, reflecting the growing national fight over mail-in voting and election security.
Last week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed a federal district court decision that had blocked Texas’ mail-ballot identification requirements. The rules, part of the state’s 2021 Election Integrity Act, require voters casting mail-in ballots to provide identifying information designed to verify their eligibility and protect the integrity of the voting process.
“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.
But Paxton is far from the only one fighting for stronger election security.
In March, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to tighten federal rules governing mail-in voting by creating voter-eligibility lists and directing the U.S. Postal Service to limit ballot delivery to voters appearing on those lists.
Last week, a federal judge expanded an earlier injunction to block the provision nationwide. The Trump administration has since asked the Supreme Court to intervene.
“The court finds it prudent to review the EO now, where less than 90 days pend before the midterms and the millions of citizens who rely on mail voting require clarity as to how or whether they will vote in November,” U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani wrote in her decision.
Although blocked, efforts such as Trump’s executive order and Paxton’s legal battle to defend Texas’ election laws reinforce the sprint to secure voting booths across the country before the midterm elections.
As Congress failed to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act in its entirety before leaving Capitol Hill for summer recess, the debate over how far federal and state governments should go to tighten voting rules remains unresolved.
“Fair and honest elections are the cornerstone of our democracy,” Paxton said. “I will continue to defend Texas laws that protect lawful voters, deter fraud and ensure Texans can trust our elections.”
