Tag Archives: primaries

2020 Primary Runoff Early Voting, Second Monday: A statewide look

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not going to keep track of what day number we’re at now, as it doesn’t really make sense anymore. But what we can do right now is have a look at how each party is doing with mail votes. … Continue reading →

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2020 Primary Runoff Early Voting, Day Five/Six: Apples and Oranges

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We are at the end of the first official early voting week for the 2020 primary runoffs. At this point, there have been five actual early voting days, as Friday and Saturday the polls were closed for the Independence Day … Continue reading →

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2020 Primary Runoff Early Voting, Day Four: Driven by Democrats

Posted on July 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting took Friday and yesterday off, but resumes today. Here’s where we stand after the first four days: Election Mail Early Total Mail % =========================================== D primary 15,101 25,254 40,355 37.4% R primary 16,528 24,778 41,306 40.0% D runoff … Continue reading →

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No fast track on vote by mail lawsuit

Posted on July 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I confess, I hadn’t been aware that this was in the hopper. The U.S. Supreme Court won’t fast-track a bid by Texas Democrats to decide whether all Texas voters can vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, leaving in place … Continue reading →

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2020 Primary Runoff Early Voting, Day One: People seem to like this vote by mail thing

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Big surprise, am I right? Harris County voters cast more than 51,000 ballots Monday in the primary runoffs, an eye-popping total that exceeded turnout for entire runoff elections in some recent years. Combined with a robust in-person turnout, voters had … Continue reading →

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Ready or not, here we vote

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Hope it goes all right. Poll workers [began] greeting voters from behind face masks and shields as early voting begins in primary runoffs that will look and operate differently from any Texas election in the past 100 years. Although the … Continue reading →

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No relief from SCOTUS on vote by mail

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is not really a surprise. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an initial bid by state Democrats to expand voting by mail to all Texas voters during the coronavirus pandemic. Justice Samuel Alito — whose oversight of federal courts … Continue reading →

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Early voting for primary runoffs starts tomorrow

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Remember the runoffs? It’s time we settle who our nominees are. Who can vote in the runoffs? Texas has open primaries, meaning you don’t have to be a registered member of either party to cast a ballot in a primary … Continue reading →

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Maybe we should have had this election in May

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, the irony. When the coronavirus threat was newer and seemed more immediate, Texas postponed its May elections to pick winners in several party primary runoffs, fearing the health risks of exposing voters and poll workers. With those statewide elections … Continue reading →

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Hotze versus contact tracing

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We should have expected this. Conservative firebrand Steven Hotze has launched another lawsuit challenging Gov. Greg Abbott’s coronavirus response, joined by current and former lawmakers and several hundred business owners who argue the state’s contact tracing program infringes on their … Continue reading →

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TDP appeals to SCOTUS on vote by mail

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. After a series of losses in state and federal courts, Texas Democrats are looking to the U.S. Supreme Court to expand voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic. The Texas Democratic Party on Tuesday asked the high … Continue reading →

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The plan for the runoffs

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting for the primary runoffs starts in less than two weeks. Here’s what to expect. Interim Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins is hoping to avoid the mistakes of his predecessor in the chaotic March primary election for July’s runoff … Continue reading →

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Just a reminder, you can get a mail ballot if you need one

Posted on June 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

No one is going to stop you. As Democrats and civil rights groups sue to expand mail-in voting during the pandemic, a recent decision by the Texas Supreme Court has left it up to voters to decide for themselves whether … Continue reading →

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Plaintiffs move for dismissal of state lawsuit over mail ballots

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. The fight over expanding voting by mail in Texas during the coronavirus pandemic appears to be coming to an end in state courts, but a lawsuit continues at the federal level. Following a Texas Supreme Court ruling … Continue reading →

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That’s a lot of mail ballots

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The new County Clerk isn’t messing around. Harris County this week sent mail ballot applications for the July primary runoff to every voter 65 and older, interim County Clerk Christopher Hollins announced. The move comes as Harris County is preparing … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit extends block on vote by mail expansion

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Not unexpected, unfortunately. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals extended its order Thursday blocking a lower court’s sweeping ruling that would have allowed all Texas voters to qualify to vote by mail during the coronavirus … Continue reading →

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Of course they have voted by mail

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It should surprise no one that the three main opponents to an expansion of voting by mail have all voted by mail themselves in past elections. Three of Texas’ top Republican leaders are vigorously fighting efforts to expand mail-in voting … Continue reading →

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More people are requesting mail ballots

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a trickle and not a flood so far, but I suspect that will change as we get closer to Novemner. The legal status of mail-in voting for virus-related reasons has gone back and forth — earlier this month, one … Continue reading →

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We will have more early voting time in November

Posted on May 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s good. Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday he will extend the early voting period for an unspecified amount of time during the November election as concerns continue to persist around in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic. Abbott has already doubled … Continue reading →

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State Supreme Court issues confusing ruling in vote by mail case

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s unpack this. The 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 … Continue reading →

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Voter, sanitize thyself

Posted on May 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? With voting in the primary runoff election starting next month in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the Texas secretary of state on Tuesday issued “minimum recommended health protocols” for elections, including a suggestion that voters bring their own … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit flips the switch

Posted on May 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what they do. A federal appeals court has temporarily put on hold a lower court’s sweeping ruling that would have allowed all Texas voters to qualify to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic. Siding with Texas Attorney General … Continue reading →

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Federal court issues order to allow voting by mail

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. A federal judge opened a path for a massive expansion in absentee voting in Texas by ordering Tuesday that all state voters, regardless of age, qualify for mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. Days after a … Continue reading →

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First federal vote by mail lawsuit hearing

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

One down, two to go. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery heard arguments Friday in a federal lawsuit seeking to give all voters the option to vote by mail due to fears of catching or spreading the coronavirus. […] During Friday’s … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court sticks its nose in

Posted on May 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose this was to be expected. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday temporarily put on hold an expansion of voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic. Siding with Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Supreme Court blocked a state appeals … Continue reading →

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Appeals court upholds vote by mail order

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Second round goes to the plaintiffs. A state appeals court upheld a temporary order Thursday from a state district judge that could greatly expand the number of voters who qualify for mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic, rebuffing Attorney General … Continue reading →

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Paxton tries a Supreme shortcut

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

They sure are keeping busy. In a bit of judicial leapfrog, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking the Texas Supreme Court to weigh in on his interpretation of how voters can qualify for absentee ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. … Continue reading →

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Early voting gets an early start

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is a remarkably sensible thing to do. Ahead of the first statewide election during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Greg Abbott has doubled the length of the early voting period for the upcoming July primary runoff elections. In a proclamation … Continue reading →

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Yet another lawsuit over voting by mail

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Turns out there are a lot of obstacles to voting by mail in Texas, and so there are a lot of lawsuits being filed by various plaintiffs to rectify that. A coalition of voters and civil rights groups opened a … Continue reading →

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TDP petitions appeals court to get Paxton to knock it off

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Democratic Party has asked a court to order state officials not to interfere with a previous court order that opened up mail-in voting in the state. In their filing Tuesday with the Third Court of Appeals, lawyers … Continue reading →

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First hearing for TDP federal vote by mail lawsuit set for next week

Posted on May 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery has ordered a hearing on expanding vote-by-mail to all Texas voters in advance of the July 14 Democratic Party runoff election. The hearing, set for 9 a.m. May 15, will allow only … Continue reading →

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The TDP motion for a fast ruling in their federal vote by mail lawsuit

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned this in passing in yesterday’s post, so here are some more details. Updating an ongoing lawsuit, the Texas Democratic Party on Wednesday asked a federal judge in San Antonio to issue an order by May 15 requiring state … Continue reading →

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Harris County preps for more mail ballots

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to spend up to $12 million for an expected uptick in requests for mail-in ballots in the July primary runoff and November general election from voters concerned about contracting the novel coronavirus … Continue reading →

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How do you conduct an election in a pandemic?

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re about to find out, one way or another. There will be an election in Texas in mid-July, apparently with polling sites, election workers and voting machines in place so people can cast their ballots in person. How many voters … Continue reading →

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