DECISION 2020

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After his official swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, Biden gave his inaugural address to the American people. While the inauguration marked the end of a tremulous election, Biden spoke about unity and the pursuit of the American dream for all. Here are some of the most enduring quotes from Biden’s inaugural address:Biden’s oath to AmericansBefore God and all of you, I give you my word I will always level with you. On the American storyBut the American story depends not in any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us. And we’ll lead not merely by the example of our power, by the power of our example.

WASHINGTON D.C. – President Joe Biden’s inaugural address Wednesday, as provided by CQ Transcripts:Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President Harris. Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Vice President Pence, and my distinguished guests, my fellow Americans, this is America’s day. Once in a century virus that silently stalks the country has taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War II. To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America requires so much more than words. Through Civil War, the Great Depression, world war, 9/11, through struggle, sacrifice, and setbacks, our better angels have always prevailed.

The Democrat had topped the incumbent Republican by more than 7 million in the popular vote nationwide. California’s 55 electoral votes put Biden over the top. Republicans who would have been Trump electors met anyway in a handful of states Biden won. With the exception of Maine and Nebraska, states award all their Electoral College votes to the winner of the popular vote in their state. The bargain struck by the nation’s founders has produced five elections in which the president did not win the popular vote.

WASHINGTON – The General Services Administration has ascertained that President-elect Joe Biden is the “apparent winner” of the Nov. 3 election. The move clears the way for the start of the transition from Trump’s administration and allows Biden to coordinate with federal agencies on plans for taking over on Jan. 20. An official said Administrator Emily Murphy made the determination after Trump efforts to subvert the vote failed across battleground states, most recently in Michigan, which certified Biden’s victory Monday. “Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official--including those who work at the White House or GSA--with regard to the substance or timing of my decision,” Murphy wrote in a letter to Biden.

ATLANTA – Georgia election officials have announced an audit of presidential election results that will trigger a full hand recount. President-elect Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by about 14,000 votes out of nearly 5 million votes counted in the state. For the hand recount, election officers will work with the paper ballots in batches, dividing them into piles for each candidate. After results from the hand recount are certified, the losing campaign can then request another recount, which will be performed by machine, Raffensperger said. There is no mandatory recount law in Georgia, but state law provides that option to a trailing candidate if the margin is less than 0.5 percentage points.

HOUSTON – Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he supports President Donald Trump’s efforts to identify voter fraud -- and is now offering up to $1 million to encourage and reward people to come forward if they have any instances of voter fraud to report. Those who give information to local law enforcement that leads to an arrest and conviction will get at least $25,000, according to the Patrick’s office. President @realDonaldTrump’s @POTUS pursuit of voter fraud is not only essential to determine the outcome of this election, it is essential to maintain our democracy and restore faith in future elections. Here’s my statement: https://t.co/7pUPJWsd3M#txlege — Dan Patrick (@DanPatrick) November 10, 2020Go here for more information.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is brushing aside results of last week’s presidential election showing that President Donald Trump lost his bid for a second term. Pompeo told reporters Tuesday with a grin that the “transition” to a second Trump term would be “smooth,” but later said the State Department was prepared for any eventuality. Trump has refused to concede to President-elect Joe Biden. Pompeo ignored results showing that Biden had won the election, and he also dismissed as “ridiculous” questions about whether the U.S. had lost credibility as a judge of other countries' election because of Trump’s unproven claims of fraud at the polls. "There will be a smooth transition to second Trump administration, " Pompeo said with a chuckle, before reverting to a more nuanced response.

Here’s a breakdown of what we know and don’t know yet about the social media platform. Parler is people and privacy-focused, and gives you the tools you need to curate your Parler experience.”Parler's homepage, as of Nov. 10, 2020. Trump supporters and right-wing conservatives have flocked to Parler since the election as many say they believe mainstream social media platforms have unfairly censored their views. The platform has since become a common post on people’s social media pages with messages or simply the logo telling people that they’re migrating to Parler from mainstream social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Millions of people are on the social media platform now with accounts like Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s page reportedly garnering more than 3 million, Fox host Sean Hannity with 2.5 million and Eric Trump with 1.4 million.

The White House has repeatedly refused to say who else has tested positive, even as the virus continues to spread. The latest White House cluster, coming just a month after Trump's own diagnosis and hospitalization, includes a top Trump campaign official as well as a handful of undisclosed White House staff, officials said. The White House has been increasingly secretive about outbreaks. The White House did not respond to specific questions about the current outbreak, but said that contact tracing had been conducted by the White House Medical Unit, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The latest outbreak came less than two weeks after several aides to Vice President Mike Pence, including his chief of staff, tested positive for the virus.

Joe Biden mounted two previous presidential bids in 1988 and 2008, never making it out of the Democratic primaries. Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., listens during his stop at Flat Rock Community High School in Flat Rock, Mich., Monday, Sept. 15, 2008. Vice President Joe Biden dances with his wife Jill at the Commander In Chief Ball on inauguration night in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. Vice President Joe Biden, right, talks to President Barack Obama at their election night party Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Chicago. All rights reserved)Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden visits with C.J.

HOUSTON – There were rallies for both political sides throughout the Houston area on Saturday. While others weren’t quite ready to accept the election results with Joe Biden projected as President-elect. I’m so excited about both President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris,” said supporter Gerald Womack. In Conroe, thousands came together to show their support for President Donald Trump and echoed his claims of fraud. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said she looked forward to working with Biden and hoped the president would agree to a peaceful transition of power.

(AP) – Control of the Senate likely won’t be decided until a January runoff in Georgia, even after Democrat Joe Biden won the White House on Saturday. That post-election cliff-hanger will determine the balance of power in Washington, as neither party appears to have a lock on a Senate majority right now. If Democrats fall short, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, could wield the power to check Biden's ambitions. And Republican Sen. David Perdue, a top Trump ally, will face Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff. “It’s all on the line in Georgia,” said Steven Law, the president of Senate Leadership Fund, the outside group aligned with McConnell that spent big trying keep Senate control.

His victory came after more than three days of uncertainty as election officials sorted through a surge of mail-in votes that delayed the processing of some ballots. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)(AP) – Jubilant crowds celebrated the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the nation’s next president and vice president Saturday, honking horns, cheering and dancing in the streets across the country. Supporters of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence turned out to express their disapproval and to back the president, who has not conceded and vowed a legal fight. Outside Vaughn’s Lounge in New Orleans, revelers bathed in a champagne shower. The latter, like some other cities, saw people from opposite camps come face-to-face, leading to some shouting and jawing back and forth.

Tensions grew again when more Trump supporters arrived on the scene and BLM members retreated through the growing crowd. “This election has not been called!” yelled Jake Angeli, a regular at Trump rallies, who stood outside a tabulation center in Phoenix. In recent days, armed protesters have been seen gathered outside tabulation centers, many carrying Trump flags and signs with the hashtag #stopthesteal. Those carrying weapons insist they are keeping the peace. In Detroit, dozens of Trump supporters returned to the streets Friday outside the city’s convention center, where election workers counted ballots.

Just after major news organizations projected that former Vice President Joe Biden beat President Donald Trump, fireworks erupted in Atlanta. Neighbors ran out of their homes in Manhattan and assembled into an unplanned street party, whooping, dancing and high-fiving strangers. In Louisville, Kentucky, BIden supporters gathered on their lawns to toast with champagne. Trump’s supporters have for days been protesting outside of ballot-counting operations, alleging without evidence that the slow-moving results were proof of cheating. Some 75 Trump-supporting protesters had gathered Saturday morning outside the election tabulation center in downtown Phoenix, where the counting remains underway.

Joe Biden will defeat President Donald Trump to win the presidency, NBC News projected. The former vice president amassed 273 Electoral College votes after winning Pennsylvania’s 20 electors, according to NBC News, surpassing the 270 needed to win the White House and defeat President Donald Trump. After receiving news of his projected win, Biden, running mate Sen. Kamala Harris and President Donald Trump took to Twitter to share their reactions to the news. The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not. pic.twitter.com/moA9qhmjn8 — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 7, 2020

Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump to win the presidency, NBC News projected. The former vice president amassed 273 Electoral College votes after winning Pennsylvania’s 20 electors, according to NBC News, surpassing the 270 needed to win the White House and defeat President Donald Trump. Full statement from former vice president Joe Biden:"I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris. "Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated. It remains shocking that the Biden campaign refuses to agree with this basic principle and wants ballots counted even if they are fraudulent, manufactured, or cast by ineligible or deceased voters.

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2020, file photo, Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., listens during the vice presidential debate at Kingsbury Hall on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. They will be sworn in as president and vice president on Jan. 20. Harris' mother raised her daughters with the understanding the world would see them as Black women, Harris has said, and that is how she describes herself today. She attended Howard University, one of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation’s first sorority created by and for Black women. Her victory could usher more Black women and people of color into politics.

Fort Bend County – Firt Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls is now also Congressman-elect Troy Nehls after a solid win in the race for Congressional District-22. Headed to Washington next week for freshman orientation -- Nehls said in addition to veteran and citizen mental health he’ll be focused on flood mitigation and infrastructure funds for District-22. “I believe whatever side wins there’s probably gonna be a very large infrastructue bill,” Nehls said. “Believe it or not we shook each others hands and gave a hug,” said Nehls. We’re professionals.”Nehls plans to spend three-to-four days a week in Washington but as much of his time will be in District-22.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A handful of states remained in play Friday in the tightly contested U.S. presidential race. The initial margins in those races were 137 votes, 215 votes and 261 votes. Election officials in the state said they would release more results Saturday at noon EST. But it was unclear if that figure took into account the overestimated number of ballots by Clark County election officials. As long as those ballots are postmarked by Nov. 3, state election officials have until Nov. 12 to count them.

“The Biden team is the most experienced, most prepared, most focused transition team ever, commensurate with the challenges that Biden will face” Jan. 20, said David Marchick, director of the Center for Presidential Transition at the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. Ted Kaufman, who briefly was appointed senator after Biden became vice president in 2008, is directing the transition. Also heavily involved in transition are the top architects of Biden’s presidential campaign, including senior advisor Anita Dunn. That could open the door for some former Republican officeholders who endorsed Biden’s campaign to be tapped for key slots. Before Biden can get that far, though, there are bigger questions about the overall tone of the transition.

KATY, Texas – The two envelopes labeled as official election mail and addressed to the Dale County Absentee Election Manager in Ozark, Alabama were found in the Houston area. Denise Fierros said the mail was delivered to her hundreds of miles away in Katy this week. The absentee election manager’s telephone number is listed as the third and final line of the address. The phone number 334-774-5003, which includes the digits 77450, a zip code for the Katy area. Fierros said she did not open the envelopes and plans to turn them into a city official in Katy on Monday.

Electoral College Timeline Of EventsNovember 3, 2020 — Election Day(first Tuesday after the first Monday in November)During the general election, your vote helps determine your state’s electors. This is so their electoral votes will be presumed valid when presented to Congress. December 14, 2020 — electors vote in their statesThe electors meet in their respective states and vote for president and vice president on separate ballots. January 6, 2021 — Congress counts the electoral votesCongress meets in joint session to count the electoral votes. The vice president, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the Electoral College vote.

Houston’s Lizzo has who showed her support for former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris on social media. This week she posted a series of Tik-Tok videos -- including a few on Wednesday -- that shows her “having goosebumps for the results." “If Trump wins Pennsylvania, and tell me if I’m wrong...Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, that’s still not enough electoral votes to get to 270,” Lizzo said in her Tik-Tok video. In a later video on Wednesday, Lizzo urged fans to practice self-care and take a break from the news if needed. The U.S., including LIzzo, are still waiting on who gets to take the presidency, and as of Friday, there is no declared winner.

HOUSTON – Three days after Election Day, people were ready to learn who would be the next president of the United States. “(I’m) a little anxious, and ready for it to get over,” said Bill Morrison. The word “ready” seemed to be very popular at Hermann Park Friday morning. “I’m just ready for the announcement, trying not to be too wrapped up in social media,” said Kaneisha Robinson. “It is challenging not to know what’s going on, but I’m ready for it to be over with,” said Shaughn John.

KPRC 2 reached out to Houston Attorney Daryl Bristow, who was on Bush’s team at the time. Bristow worked to defend the values and integrity of the American elections process, emphasizing the importance of voter intent and empowerment. Bristow and Bush’s legal team worked through the night on several legal battles. “Carried those cases through to the Florida Supreme Court and Bush V. Gore [went] to the Supreme Court of the US. Ultimately, in the Martin County and Seminole County cases, Bristow’s interpretation of law and values prevailed with the Florida Supreme Court affirming the decision.

HOUSTON – As the counting continues in several states a judge has issued another order to the United States Postal Service to locate any other mail-in ballots that have yet to be delivered. The order is focusing on states that have extended vote delivery deadlines including North Carolina and Pennsylvania. “That means he can find the postal service in contempt. It means he can call them out.”The postal service says in order to expedite the process ballots were scanned when they arrived but not when they were sent out of facilities making it appear as if they hadn’t been delivered. “But beyond that, I think the integrity and the reputation of the United States Postal Service is at stake.”Wice says he can’t guarantee the judge’s orders will make a difference but he believes they can make a difference, which is why the orders were issued.

Using the KPRC 2 Trust Index, we will review questionable claims being made on social media. Trewinnard, a member of the international team that helped set up our Trust Index System, has monitored elections from all over the world. “It doesn’t really change the minds of the people who’ve already believed it. Our Trust Index team flagged what’s been called the “Sharpiegate” claim as false. What is the Trust Index?

WASHINGTON – A Michigan judge has dismissed a lawsuit by President Donald Trump’s campaign in a dispute over whether Republican challengers had access to the handling of absentee ballots. Judge Cynthia Stephens noted that the lawsuit was filed late Wednesday afternoon, just hours before the last ballots were counted. The Associated Press called the Michigan presidential election for Democrat Joe Biden on Wednesday evening. The lawsuit claimed Benson, a Democrat, was allowing absentee ballots to be counted without teams of bipartisan observers as well as challengers. Much of the dispute centered on the TCF Center in Detroit where pro-Trump protesters gathered while absentee ballots were being counted.

WASHINGTON – A judge in Georgia has dismissed a lawsuit by the state Republican Party and President Donald Trump’s campaign that asked him to ensure a coastal county was following state laws on processing absentee ballots. Chatham County Superior Court Judge James Bass did not provide an explanation for his decision Thursday at the close of a roughly one-hour hearing. The county includes the heavily Democratic city of Savannah. The suit had raised concerns about 53 absentee ballots that poll observers said were not part of an original batch of ballots. County elections officials testified that all 53 ballots had been received on time.

ROSENBERG, Texas – Of the important decisions voters from Lamar Consolidated ISD had to ponder Tuesday, perhaps the biggest came down to the bottom line. On the ballot were four propositions -- two related to education, infrastructure, and technology for district students -- two others related to athletics. But Props B & C -- asking for more than $125 million for a second stadium and two new practice swimming pools -- a fail. More than 50% of voters like Scott Hartzell voted no. I’m a former athlete myself in high school and college so I support atheltics,” Hartzell said.

HOUSTON – A federal judge in Washington D.C. ordered USPS to “sweep” the Houston processing facility on Wednesday for any undelivered mail-in ballots after the agency failed to meet a court-ordered deadline on Election Day. To “sweep” means to “examine every place in the plant to make sure no ballots have been left behind,” USPS said in court documents. Judge Sullivan ordered USPS to provide an update on compliance with the order at 10 a.m. on Thursday. In Houston, 1,347 mail-in ballots were unaccounted for or not scanned. In fact, last Friday, USPS ordered its offices to identify mail-in ballots and deliver them directly to election offices before they could be scanned at processing facilities.

HOUSTON – A historic win in Fort Bend County for Sheriff-elect Eric Fagan. Fagan is now the second Black sheriff to be elected in the county’s history. Fagan was a Houston police officer for more than 30 years and has lived in Fort Bend County for nearly 20. Now that he’s elected, Fagan said he wants to bridge the gap between the sheriff’s department and the community. “I want to represent all the people of Fort Bend, not just African Americans, not just Hispanics, not just Muslims but everyone, Caucasian, everyone,” Fagan said.

TEXAS CITY, Texas – When all votes were all counted late Tuesday night, residents in Texas City elected a new mayor. In the process of his big win, Johnson also made history for Texas City by becoming the city’s first-ever African American mayor. He is no stranger to serving the Texas City community, he was a Commissioner of District 3 for 16 years. As the city’s next mayor, Johnson says, for now, his focus is on city workers. The mayor-elect said he’s optimistic about the future of Texas city.

HOUSTON – The United States and the world is waiting on the results of the 2020 Election. Here are some of the best social media messages we found about the waiting. This is all of us right now lol #waiting #2020 pic.twitter.com/QYk1808Fn7 — Annoyingthing17 (@Annoyingthing17) November 6, 2020I bet Kanye won Nevada and they don’t know how to tell us. Posted by Matthew Paradise on Thursday, November 5, 2020Sending love and appreciation to all the election workers who put in tons of time and effort to support #ElectionDay!! pic.twitter.com/tP4VBrlEoT — Dr. Alyssa Whitcraft (@AKWhitcraft) November 5, 2020How are you handling the wait for results?

Below is a look at the balance of power in both the Texas House and the Texas Senate. You can get all of the election results here.

Clear skies across Texas ushered voters to the polls for a historic Election Day on Tuesday, even as a political storm hovers at the close of an anxious, divisive presidential election unlike any other. In 2016, some 73.3% of votes in Texas were cast early and 26.7% on election day, according to the Secretary of State. Fort Bend elections manager John Oldham said Election Day voting was lower than usual. Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at Dan Ruiz Branch Library in Austin on Election Day. (Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune)Voters stand in line at the Oak Lawn Branch Library to cast their ballots on Election Day in Dallas.

HOUSTON – Democratic Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg claimed victory Tuesday night after preliminary results showed her holding an eight-point lead over her Republican opponent. District Attorney races do not generate much money or attention in comparison to other races. TV screens will validate that position because there will be very little ads, if any, making the rounds on screens in most District Attorney races. In Harris County, District Attorney Kim Ogg is the incumbent. Part of her strategy has been to question the safety of Harris County.

You can watch live coverage of Decision 2020 from KPRC 2 and NBC News in the video player attached to this story. You can follow presidential results as they come in here. You can all of the live election results as they come in here or search using the bar below.

Projections indicate that Former Vice President Joe Biden has surpassed the 270 electoral-vote threshold needed to win the presidential race over incumbent President Donald Trump. Latest projectionsNBC News projected Friday that Biden will win Georgia and its 16 electoral votes, and that Trump will win North Carolina and its 15 electoral votes. This puts the final projected electoral vote totals at 306 for Biden and 232 for Trump. Full resultsHere’s a closer look at how the results unfolded in Texas and across the country. Get more election results here.

WASHINGTON – A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ordered U.S. Postal Service inspectors to sweep more than two dozen mail processing facilities for lingering mail-in ballots and for those ballots to be sent out immediately. The order, which includes centers in central Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, south Florida, parts of Wisconsin and Texas, including Houston, comes after national delivery delays leading up to the election and concerns the agency wouldn’t be able to deliver ballots on time. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who has presided over several lawsuits aimed at USPS election mail delays, gave the Postal Service until 3 p.m. to “ensure that no ballots have been held up” in regions that have been slow to process mail ballots. The Postal Service’s ability to handle the surge of mail-in ballots became a concern after its new leader, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major GOP donor, implemented a series of policy changes that delayed mail nationwide this summer.

Here’s what voting across the nation looks like today -- one of the most historic election days in recent history. (2020 Getty Images)Would-be voters learn they are not registered at their precinct at the O.P. (2020 Getty Images)Voters cast their ballot at The Orpheum Theater on Nov. 3 in Madison, Wisconsin. (2020 Getty Images)Voters stand in ballot boxes at the Kentucky Exposition Center on Nov. 3 in Louisville, Kentucky. (2020 Getty Images)

HOUSTON – Besides deciding on the next president, voting has some other perks. You may want to take advantage of some of those Election Day deals Tuesday. Here are some discounts and deals voters can look out for after they’ve done their civic duty:

HOUSTON – The Justice Department announced that it will once again send election monitors from its Civil Rights Division to Harris and Waller Counties for Election Day. The Justice Department has previously monitored jurisdictions in the field on Election Day. The department also stated that it will take complaints from the public regarding possible voting violations through its call center. “Federal law entrusts the Civil Rights Division with protecting the right to vote for all Americans,” said Eric S. Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “Our federal laws protect the right of all American citizens to vote without suffering discrimination, intimidation, and harassment.

HOUSTON – There are several Houston area school districts that will be closed Tuesday for Election Day. Here are the following closures for Nov. 3:

We’ve heard of people out in droves who voted early or sent a mail-in ballot. Lines at early-voting precincts have had some crowds waiting hours -- but to cast a ballot, many find the time well-spent. Pflughoeft was fascinated with politics and determined to vote in the 2020 General Election, so she mailed in her ballot early. All the other states have various stipulations as to whether they will allow the ballot of a deceased person to count, such as when the person died and when the death is learned. However, if past elections are any indication, votes from people who pass away before Election Day generally don’t have an impact on the results, according USA Today.

As part of our Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things Houston. Question: Can I turn in my ballot-by-mail at NRG on Monday and on Election Day? According to the Harris County Clerk’s Office, you can return your completed ballot-by-mail in person at NRG at any time during regular poll hours and Election Day. Only the voter named on their ballot can drop it off at NRG. If you do not present an acceptable form of ID, you can complete a reasonable impediment declaration form.

HOUSTON – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo reminded residents of where they can vote during Election Day and addressed the court’s decision to reject another Republican effort to invalidate 127,000 votes in Houston. Hidalgo visited BBVA Stadium, which will be a voting location on Tuesday, to provide voters information on new voting options that will be available in Harris County. The county judge said her message to residents in Harris County is simple -- go vote, saying now is the time to participate and have their voices heard. She reminded residents that there will be a record number of voting locations where people can vote anywhere on Election Day. “You should rest easy knowing, we’re protecting you from COVID at all our locations," Hidalgo said.

HOUSTON – A federal judge issued an order to uphold Harris County drive-thru voting but stated that the tents being used to house most drive-thru voting centers will not qualify as “buildings,” which are required for Election Day polling locations. Instead of 10 drive-thru locations, the Toyota Center will be the only drive-thru voting center available in Harris County on Election Day because of the new order. In order to allow for drive-thru voting on Election Day while ensuring that all votes will be counted, the only drive-thru voting center on Election Day will be at Toyota Center. Woodfill said he would immediately appeal the decision, accusing Harris County officials of using their office to help Democrats win Tuesday. Harris County had originally offered 10 drive-thru locations as an option for its nearly 5 million residents amid worries of spreading the coronavirus.

The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020. Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneThe Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a lack of immunity to the new coronavirus does not qualify a voter to apply for a mail-in ballot. In the latest twist in the legal fight over voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, the court agreed with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that the risk of contracting the virus does not meet the states qualifications for voting by mail. We agree with the State that a voters lack of immunity to COVID-19, without more, is not a disability as defined by the Election Code, the court wrote. But the State acknowledges that election officials have no responsibility to question or investigate a ballot application that is valid on its face.This is a developing story.

A federal judge on Tuesday opened a path for a massive expansion in absentee voting in Texas by ordering that all state voters regardless of age qualify for a mail-in ballot during the coronavirus pandemic. They argued that rule violated the U.S. Constitution because it would impose additional burdens on voters who are younger than 65 during the pandemic, and Biery agreed. In ruling against the state, Biery cast aside arguments made by the Texas attorney generals office that he should wait until a case in state district court is fully adjudicated. So whats the rational basis between 65 and 1 day and one day less than 65? Biery asked. Indeed, if vote by mail fraud is real, logic dictates that all voting should be in person.