It’s time for the week that was in Texas politics with Alex Samuels, political reporter for The Texas Tribune.
State and national Democrats are trying to keep Green Party candidates off Texas ballots in November. Samuels said state and county courts recently blocked Green Party candidates for U.S. Senate, Texas’ 21st Congressional district and the Texas Railroad Commission from appearing on the ballot.
The reason?
“The Democrats are targeting Green Party candidates because … they have not paid these filing fees, which is a new requirement for third parties, under a law passed by the [Texas Legislature] last year,” Samuels said.
There are several pending lawsuits challenging that new law.
And, with new concerns about possible delays at the U.S. Postal Service during the November election, Samuels said Texans who are eligible to vote by mail could experience delays or even miss having their ballot counted if they don’t follow certain guidelines. She said voters must submit mail-in ballots by 7 p.m. Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3., if they aren’t postmarked; ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day must reach county election officials by 5 p.m. the following day.
“The U.S. Postal Service recommends that Texans ask for mail-in ballots no later than 15 days out from that due date,” Samuels said.
But Texas law allows voters to request ballots after that 15-day point, which means some voters might not receive their ballots with time enough to return them before the the deadline, because of delays in the postal system.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott extended the early voting period by six days because of the pandemic. It now starts Oct. 13 and ends Oct. 30.
Web story by Caroline Covington.
