Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a proclamation Thursday requiring all mail ballots delivered in person to be dropped off at the one voting clerk's office designated per county for "enhanced ballot security protocol."
Why it matters: The order, effective Friday, closes any satellite offices, where voters would have been able to drop mail-in ballots.
- Harris County, which has a population of 4.7 million people, has 12 drop-off sites. Travis County, which has 1.2 million people, has four offices.
- The proclamation also allows poll watchers "to observe any activity conducted at the early voting clerk’s office location related to the in-person delivery of a marked mail ballot.”
What he's saying:
- “The State of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our elections. As we work to preserve Texans’ ability to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must take extra care to strengthen ballot security protocols throughout the state," Abbott said in the proclamation.
- "These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting.”
