Beyonce is voting by mail in Texas

[RandySF]

The Harris County Clerk’s Office announced Thursday they had processed the vote-by-mail application of Beyoncé.

The singer-songwriter and native Houstonian will be joining millions of other Texans in casting an absentee ballot this election.

“We process every application we receive — if you’re Beyoncé, a teacher, a small business owner, or a first-time voter — every Harris County voter has an equal opportunity for their voice to be heard,” Harris Country Clerk Chris Hollins told the Signal.

“The safest way to vote is to vote by mail,” Hollins said. I encourage every eligible voter to send in an application soon for the general election. To print an application, go to harrisvotes.com, click “Vote by Mail”, then click the button to open a new application. If you did not make the cut-off to vote by mail in the Primary Runoff, voting during the Early Voting period is the next safest method.”



https://texassignal.com/beyonce-is-voting-by-mail-in-texas/

[ecstatic]

1. I'm confused

The article says:

In Texas, you must be 65 or older, in jail, or out of the country, or claim a disability to apply to vote by mail.

Election officials in major counties around the state, like Harris and Travis County, have made it clear that voters can take their health history into consideration when applying to vote by mail.

Voters are not required to expand on what they might consider a disability when applying for a ballot.

[BGBD]

2. What has you confused?

You must claim a disability, but you don't need to explain what that disability is. This was upheld in a Texas Court recently I believe.

[ecstatic]

3. Ok, so you have to lie. It might discourage people

from using that option.

[BGBD]

4. Nobody said you need to lie

The court made this clear in their ruling.

Texas voters can qualify for mail-in ballots only if they are 65 years or older, have a disability or illness, will be out of the county during the election period, or are confined in jail. The Texas election code defines disability as a “sickness or physical condition” that prevents a voter from appearing in person without the risk of “injuring the voter’s health.”

Although the court sided with Paxton's interpretation of what constitutes a disability, it indicated that it is up to voters to assess their own health and determine if they meet the state's definition.

"We agree, of course, that a voter can take into consideration aspects of his health and his health history that are physical conditions in deciding whether, under the circumstances, to apply to vote by mail because of disability," the court ruled.

The high court also rejected Paxton’s request to prevent local election officials from sending mail-in ballots to voters who were citing lack of immunity to the coronavirus as a disability. Those officials denied they were operating outside the law and argued they cannot deny ballots to voters who cite a disability — even if their reasoning is tied to susceptibility to the coronavirus.

When voters cite disability to request an absentee ballot, they're not required to say what the disability is. The voters simply check a box on the application form, and if their application is properly filled out, locals officials are supposed to send them a ballot. The state ultimately conceded that officials can't reject those voters.

https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/27/texas-vote-by-mail-coronavirus/

Essentially, the way Texas Law is written and interpreted by the court, a disability is defined by the state, but left up to the voter to determine if they meet that definition and no proof is required beyond that.

[Cha]

6. Thanks.. she just has to be out of the county!

[Ron Green]

5. If she lived in Oregon that's the only way she'd be able to vote.

It’s really dumb to hold on to the “event” style of voting and think it’s somehow more secure.

[LeftInTX]

7. Weird, why would they announce this?