Texas Republicans Seek to Block Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins' Measures on Absentee Voting

______________________


Republican Party of Texas
Austin, TX, Release: October 13, 2020. 

The Texas GOP is Filing a Suit Against Harris County Clerk to Stop Illegal Voting

Last night, the Republican Party of Texas filed a suit against Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins to stop illegal voting before it starts.

Chris Hollins continues to try and rewrite Texas election law as an unelected county clerk. Just a matter of weeks ago, the Supreme Court of Texas ruled Hollins was illegally trying to send absentee ballot requests to voters that were not legally able to vote absentee. Now he is trying to unlawfully expand a form of voting almost entirely targeted at voters who physically can’t walk into a polling location.

Chris Hollins is telling all Harris County residents that they are eligible for curbside voting when he knows that is not the case. Any voter that does not qualify to vote curbside under narrow statutory language would be voting illegally if allowed to vote drive-through.

The Texas Supreme Court has already held in the context of absentee ballots that a lack of immunity to and fear of COVID-19 is not a disability. It is simply a political maneuver by the Democrat partisan, Chris Hollins, to undermine electoral integrity.

The Republican Party of Texas hopes that the courts will stop Chris Hollins from allowing illegal voting and protect the integrity and fairness of our election process. The Republican Party of Texas will continue to look for every opportunity to promote lawful, fair elections.

###
Attorney General Ken Paxton

AG Pax­ton: Texas Supreme Court Stops Har­ris Coun­ty Clerk from Send­ing Mil­lions of Unso­licit­ed Mail-In Bal­lot Applications

Attorney General Ken Paxton today lauded the Texas Supreme Court for preventing Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins from sending over two million unsolicited mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters in Harris County. The court entered its order in response to a filing made earlier today by Attorney General Paxton on behalf of the State of Texas seeking emergency relief to prevent Hollins from sending the applications before the State’s lawsuit against Hollins is resolved.

“I strongly commend the Texas Supreme Court for stopping the Harris County Clerk from sending millions of mail-in ballot applications, which would create voter confusion and jeopardize the integrity and security of our elections,” said Attorney General Paxton. “The Harris County Clerk knowingly chose to violate Texas election law and undermine election security. I thank the court for preventing the clerk from proceeding with his unlawful plans while this case continues.”
Attorney General Ken Paxton
October 1, 2020

ICY­MI: AG Pax­ton Files Brief at SCOTX Defend­ing Texas Elec­tion Law on Mail-In Ballots

Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a brief with the Texas Supreme Court on Monday, September 28, defending Texas election law against Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins’ unlawful plan to send out over two million unsolicited mail-in ballot applications. Not only are these mail-in ballot applications unsolicited, most will go to voters who are not eligible for one and the issuance of them en masse directly violates state law.

Texas election officials have a legal obligation to reject mail-in ballot applications from voters who are not eligible in order to protect the integrity of elections.

Read a copy of the brief here
Republican Party of Texas
Austin, TX, Release September 16, 2020.

The Texas GOP is Concerned About Potential Voter Suppression in Harris County

Republican Party of Texas Chairman Allen West is calling on the Harris County Clerk, Chris Hollins, to publicly pledge to follow through with court orders — from the Texas Supreme Court and the Federal 5th Circuit Court — to immediately halt any plans to release millions of ballot applications across Harris County.

Chairman West has aptly pointed out that “millions of printed, unsecured ballot applications at a printing company in Harris County is a key ingredient in the recipe for voter fraud.”

Based on the Democrat’s blatant disregard for Texas election law, Chairman Allen West strongly encourages Chris Hollins, in the interest of transparency, to share his plans for ballot security and all election plans with the Secretary of State, Office of the Attorney General, and the public at large, in the interest of transparency.

The Republican Party of Texas is deeply concerned about voter suppression and the undermining of our electoral integrity.

###