A litigious conservative activist in Houston, the Harris County Republican party and a number of Republican officials and candidates are asking the Texas Supreme Court to limit in-person and absentee voting options for Harris County voters during the pandemic. Republicans across the country, including leaders in Texas, have sought to cast doubt on the security of absentee ballots — skepticism experts say is not merited. There are documented cases of voter fraud in Texas, but with absentee ballots as overall, it is rare. Texas is one of just a few states that has not allowed for no-excuse absentee ballots during the pandemic. The Trump campaign has encouraged its voters to request absentee ballots, even as the president claims without evidence that it will lead to fraud.

HOUSTON – The state of Texas filed lawsuit against Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins Monday in an effort to stop him from sending ballot by mail applications to all 2.4 million registered voters in the county. And not based in any real understanding of Texas law. We’ve been assured by the County Attorney’s office that what we’re doing is a furthering of our duty as the election administrator in Harris County,” he said. Dissenters of Hollins’ move include the Harris County Republican Party, which filed a petition Sunday with the Texas Supreme Court to stop Hollins. The county GOP says Hollins’ plan could lead people to misuse or abuse the vote-by-mail privilege.

HOUSTON – Primary runoff elections are underway in Harris County. On Tuesday, voters who received ballots by mail but were unable to mail in their ballots on time can go in-person to 11 locations across the county to drop off their ballot. This is the first time in recent history there has been more than a single drop-off location in Harris County. “We increased mail ballot drop-off locations for Election Day as another method for voters to cast their ballots safely and expand voter access for the people of Harris County,” said Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins. No Harris County resident should have to make a decision between their health and their constitutional right to vote.”Here are the locations:

The Vote By Mail notification connects Facebook users to information about how to request a ballot. It is targeted to voters in states where no excuse is needed to vote by mail or where fears of the coronavirus are accepted as a universal excuse. In working to facilitate voting by mail during the pandemic, the company is stepping into politically sensitive ground. Of particular concern heading into November are foreign influence operations, reliant on bogus social media accounts, aimed at swaying opinion. Facebook said that two days before the 2018 elections, it dismantled more than 100 accounts linked to the same operation.

HOUSTON – There's a big legal fight underway over whether voting by mail in Texas should be expanded. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says no, but the Texas Democratic Party and several voting rights groups say yes. What is the state’s legal argument against expanding vote by mail? What are the legal arguments for expanding vote by mail in texas? The Texas Democratic Party and other voting rights and civil rights groups, like the Texas Civil Rights Project, are suing the state, arguing that the current eligibility requirements for mail-in ballots should be dropped because of the coronavirus pandemic.