In a major victory for election integrity, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Wednesday upheld Texas’s ban on paid in-person ballot harvesting. The ruling reverses a lower court injunction, allowing the law to take effect immediately across the state.
Writing for a unanimous three-judge panel, Judge Edith H. Jones affirmed that Senate Bill 1, enacted in 2021, is clear and constitutional. The opinion also criticized the lower court for overstepping its authority by issuing an injunction against state officials, violating principles of sovereign immunity.
“The district court erred in facially striking down this provision and entering an injunction against state officials in violation of their sovereign immunity,” Judge Jones wrote. “Accordingly, the district court’s judgment is reversed.”
The decision reinstates enforcement of Section 276.015 of the Texas Election Code, which makes it a crime to provide or offer “vote harvesting services” for compensation. The law specifically targets paid operatives who handle ballots in person with the goal of influencing votes for a particular candidate or measure.
>> Click Here To Continue Reading <<
