At Educating Texans, we do take voting seriously. Be sure you register to vote ASAP.
A hot topic in the political arena of elections is the Texas vote by mail lawsuit taking place. The Texas Supreme Court (TSC) has blocked vote by mail over COVID-19 and the Federal appeals court has extended its injunction to block the vote by mail reasoning over COVID-19. It’s likely on it’s way to the SCOTUS. It will be noted that with the TSC ruling that the court sided with state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s interpretation of what constitutes a disability, but TSC also remarked that it is up to voters to assess their health and determine if they meet the state’s definition, which could allow them to vote by mail.
Vote by mail isn’t something new, and if you are a legal cannabis user of some form you are going to likely qualify to vote by mail. Even if you don’t qualify for a medical reason to use cannabis in Texas, it is likely you may have qualified even before the outbreak of COVID-19. The following are the reasons listed by the election code on the Texas Secretary of State website as to when you are allowed to vote by mail:
- be 65 years or older;
- be disabled;
- be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
- be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.
The Texas election code defines disability as a “sickness or physical condition” that prevents a voter from appearing in person without the risk of “injuring the voter’s health.”
It would be strongly advised that if one is thinking of going the route of claiming disability, that one has medical documentation supporting that stance. As well, it may be a good idea that one has a letter from a doctor that states that the individual voting by mail has a sickness or physical condition that prevents them from appearing in person without risk of injuring their health. We are not lawyers, so this is not legal advice.
If you wish to vote by mail, you will need to follow the steps outlined at the Texas Secretary of State website, and fill out the form required.
We do recommend that everyone eligible to vote, register and vote. According to Texas election law,
You are eligible to register to vote if:
- You are a United States citizen;
- You are a resident of the county where you submit the application;
- You are at least 17 years and 10 months old, and you are 18 years of age on Election Day.
- You are not a convicted felon (you may be eligible if you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole); and
- You have not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.