GOP Fights Abbott Decision To Extend Early Voting

Republican activist, joined by state lawmakers to invalidate governor’s vote period extension.

By Michael Marks & Terri LangfordSeptember 24, 2020 2:30 pm, , , ,

Texas is poised to be a battleground state on Election Day. About 1.5 million new voters have registered since the 2016 election.

Just this week, Politico reported that Republican National Committee has sent $1.3 million to the Texas GOP party as the margins between former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump tighten in Texas and down-ballot races heat up.

Now, members of Gov. Greg Abbott’s own party are fighting him in court over his decision to use his emergency powers to extend the early voting period – which now begins in Texas on Oct. 13 – by one week. Dr. Steven Hotze in Houston is a longtime conservative activist. He along with six Texas state lawmakers are involved in the suit. One is Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

Houston Chronicle reporter Taylor Goldenstein has been writing about the court challenge.

The suit claims Texas state law is very specific about when early voting can take place, Goldenstein said.

“They say he doesn’t have the authority to suspend laws, only the Legislature does,” she said.

Abbott’s extension of early voting this fall is not the only time he’s changed the date.

“He did this in the July primary runoffs as well,” Goldenstein said. “The thinking is, you know, if we give people more time to vote early in person, that means shorter lines, people not having to be around each other as much.”

While the matter is still before the state Supreme Court justices, Hotze has not been successful with court challenges, she said.

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