5th Circuit Restores 9 Parts of Texas Mail Ballot Law After 5-Year Fight

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 13

An 11-page ruling revived nine provisions of Texas Senate Bill 1, reversing a March 2025 order that had blocked mail-voting and voter-assistance rules.
Judge Andrew Oldham said most plaintiffs lacked standing and one remaining claim failed on the merits, leaving no basis to override lawmakers' anti-fraud and election-integrity measures.
The restored rules require mail voters to provide an ID or Social Security number matching state records, create a cure process for defective ballots, and mandate anti-coercion oaths from voters and assistants.
Texas said the law's ID-error rejection rate dropped to 2.7% from 11% after implementation, while challengers had argued the requirements burdened older voters and people with disabilities.
The decision marks another appellate win for Texas in a dispute dating to the 2021 passage of SB 1, a law born from battles over Harris County's pandemic-era voting practices.