Advocacy groups urge Texas officials to expand voting access amid COVID-19

AUSTIN, Texas - 15 advocacy groups including the ACLU of Texas are urging state officials to expand access to voting as COVID-19 cases rise.

In a letter sent to Governor Greg Abbott, Secretary of State Ruth Ruggero Hughs, and all 254 county clerks, the organizations are asking state and local elections officials to take urgent steps to ensure safety and accessibility in the upcoming elections.

“Texans should not have to risk their lives as they exercise their right to vote in the upcoming elections,” said Sarah Labowitz, policy & advocacy director for the ACLU of Texas. “We’re calling on state and local officials to do everything in their power to make sure that what happened in Georgia last week-long lines, crowded polling places, and depressed turnout – doesn’t happen in Texas in July and November.”

The organizations are highlighting measures that they say "should be put into place to protect the health and safety of Texans as they exercise their right to vote."

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The letter asks for government officials to:

Develop a response plan to the pandemic which expands voter registration and extends early voting to allow for the largest possible participation
Further extend early voting for the July and November elections and provide voters with more options and locations for voting, including expanded curbside voting, to allow for smaller gatherings in polling places.

You can find a full copy of the letter here.

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