Texas passed a law against "ballot harvesting". U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez upheld the law. But now a federal appeals court has overruled that decision and is blocking the Texas law from being enforced. The three Fifth Circuit judges who made this ruling are James Ho, Cory Wilson and Irma Carrillo Ramirez. The first judge made the ruling on September 28, and it was quickly overruled on October 15 (2024). Early voting begins October 21. Fifth Circuit squashes district court ruling on Texas election law, blocks another portion of it, Bethany Blankley, The Center Square, October 17, 2024 This is an unusually fast decision from an appellate court. The appeals court claims the law is "unconstitutional". "Ballot harvesting" is collecting completed absentee ballots from voters and delivering them to polling places or election offices, done by a non-government person. Ballot harvesting is one of the greatest risks to secure and honest elections. - Congressman Chuck Edwards (video) "The absentee ballot. This device perhaps offers the most potential risk for election fraud. Ballot harvesting takes place when a third party collects absentee ballots from multiple voters, and takes them and drops them off at a polling place. Ballot harvesting undermines the integrity of our elections." So the federal government is blocking a state law intended to try to safeguard the integrity of the elections and prevent voting fraud.
