A Texas Appeals Court Dismissed the State GOP Party's Lawsuit pushing for Early Voting Restrictions of Curbside and Drive-Through Voting Procedures, on Wednesday Oct. 14th, questioning the Petition's Delayed Filing. The Republican Party of Texas filed its Suit against Harris County Clerk, Chris Hollins, late Monday Oct. 12th, less than 24 hours before the State's Early Voting Period began.
Drive-through Voting is a New Procedure in Texas, which Hollins announced in Early September as a means to Reduce Risks of COVID-19 Transmission at Polling Sites. Harris, where Houston is Located, is the State's most Populous County, and the County hit Hardest by COVID-19 Relative to Others across the State.
"Drive-Thru Voting (DTV) was created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as a safer, socially-distant alternative to walk-in voting for all voters," reads a Description Posted to the Harris County Clerk's website. Whereas any Registered Voter is able to Cast Ballots at Drive-Through Locations, Curbside Voting is Restricted to Individuals with certain Medical Conditions.
The GOP's Lawsuit also Suggested Curbside Voting Options should Only be Available to those who Previously Submitted Applications that Prove they meet Qualifications to use them.
In its Wednesday Decision, a Panel consisting of Three Judges from Texas' 14th Court of Appeals Rejected the State GOP's Lawsuit on the Grounds it Lacked Standing and came too soon Before the State's Early Voting Period began.
"The Republican Party of Texas cites no authority that supports its standing argument," the Judges wrote, Referencing the GOP's Allegations that Drive-Through Voting, which it Classified as an Expansion of Curbside Voting, would "harm its mission and purpose of advancing limited government, lower taxes, less spending, and individual liberty and promoting compliance with state election statutes."
"Additionally, the election is already underway," the Court's Decision continued. Judges noted that Hollins First Released Information about Drive-Through Voting Options on September 10th, over a Month ahead of the State's early Voting Period. They said the GOP Party "offered no justification" for Delaying the Lawsuit and pointed to Warnings from the U.S. Supreme Court against Judicial Interference in Ongoing Elections.
In a Statement confirming the Lawsuit against Hollins, the Texas GOP Party claimed Drive-Thru-Voting Procedures in Harris County are "illegal." The Statement also Argued that Voters who are "not qualified to vote curbside under narrow statutory language would be voting illegally if allowed to vote drive-through."
Following the Judges' Dismissal, a Texas GOP Spokesperson said the Organization will seek an Appeal from the State's Supreme Court. "We are escalating it to the Supreme Court of Texas, because it is illegal to allow expanded curbside and drive-through voting," the Representative said. "We filed this case to ensure that no illegal votes would be cast and counted in this election."
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