An East Texas county commissioner and his wife have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor election fraud after reaching a plea deal that allows him to remain in office.

An East Texas county commissioner was arrested Thursday on charges that he and three associates committed voter fraud in a 2018 primary election. County election results show Brown won a narrow victory in the March Democratic primary — 1,047 votes to his opponent’s 1,042 — with a much greater share of his support coming from absentee ballots. Texas is one of the few states that have not allowed for no-excuse absentee voting this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic. The matter of absentee ballots for people with disabilities has been a major point of political and legal contention over the last few months. In Texas, voters may only vote by mail if they are over 65, outside their home county during the election, confined in jail or disabled.