TX-18: Harris County sued over CD-18 early voting closures as winter weather disrupts runoff election
A pair of voting rights organizations filed a lawsuit Sunday seeking an emergency court order to extend early voting in Harris County past Tuesday after severe weather forced the closure of polling locations in the runoff election for Texas' 18th Congressional District.
The Harris County Elections Department closed all early vote centers for the CD-18 special runoff election on Sunday and Monday, citing hazardous winter weather. In a statement, the department said the closures were a precaution to protect voters and election workers as freezing conditions affected the region. Early voting was slated to end Tuesday, and Election Day is Jan. 31.
"The safety of voters, election workers, and staff must come first," Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said in the statement, adding that the decision was made in coordination with state and local emergency management officials. The clerk’s office said it would continue to monitor conditions and provide reopening plans as weather improves.
The Harris County Clerk’s Office has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/cd18-runoff-lawsuit-21314691.php