It's an absolutely hypocritical executive order, since the 5th Circuit ruled that rules changes this close to the election should not be made, but it's also a side effect from a raging civil war within the TX GOP.
Abbott is basically running scared from his hard right flank, which is already suing Abbott for issuing an executive order that:
1) Extends early voting by 6 days, which brought the first day of Early Voting forward from October 19 to October 13.
2) Allows voters to return absente ballots in person to their Elections Administrator's office at any point leading up to the election.
Both of these moves were made to help spread out voters and prevent COVID-19 rates from growing. At the time Abbott made the EO to allow the two election expansions, Texas was experiencing a massive COVID up-wave.
The far right, which has been rabidly furious with Greg Abbott for taking COVID-19 even minimally seriously, has sued and sued and sued his pants off. I really can't emphasize enough how much they openly hate him right now - QAnon and anti-vaxxer enthusiast Allen West was overwhelmingly elected TX GOP Chairman on a stridently anti-Abbott and anti-mask platform. Several sitting State Senators and State Reps have disavowed him and said they won't listen to him anymore. Hell, even 6 County GOP chapters voted to censure him for his decisions to shut down bars (a shutdown that could easily be bypassed, btw).
Now, regarding the executive order, Abbott's justification for closing the remote dropoff sites is the usual 'Voter Fraud' ********. What is interesting about it is that the language in the Executive Order is almost copy-pasted word for word from the lawsuit that the far right is using to end the extended Early Voting and absentee drop off timeline. He is actively capitulating to the angriest conspiracy theorists in the party, which, in Texas GOP land, is just another Thursday.
Now, that said, given how many crazy lawsuits and EO's that have been thrown around since June, it's important for Texans to know which rules are cemented in place, which rules are under threat pending lawsuits, and which rules have been eliminated or disallowed:
Early In Person Voting
- October 19-30 will not be touched. You will always be able to vote during these times, per state law
- The state may not unilaterally close Early Voting sites. Only counties may do this, per state law
- October 13-18 is at risk pending a case brought before the TX Supreme Court courtesy of said far right *******s.
Absentee Ballot Returns
- Original law says that hand delivery is only allowed on Election Day (Nov. 3) at the Election Administrator's Office
- Abbott's July EO allows voters to drop off ballots to their county Elections Admin office at any time in person, assuming the office is open
- Extra drop off sites aren't allowed by law, but unlike most counties, Harris & Travis County elections are run by their Clerks' Offices, and those clerk offices usually have satellite offices throughout the county. The remote sites are all located at the clerks' satellite offices. This is what Abbott is shutting down. If you aren't registered in Travis or Harris counties, your county already isn't allowed to open remote drop off sites.
Straight Party Ticket Voting
- This was outlawed in 2019 by the GOP-controlled legislature
- Democratic-backed groups successfully received a favorable ruling from a US District Court judge, only to be overturned by the 5th Circuit a few days later
- As of now, straight party voting won't be on the ballot
Online Voter Registration
- Not allowed under TX Law
- However, the Secretary of State's Office must now comply with a Federal Judge's ruling that Texans who update their driver's licenses addresses online must also have their registrations updated online as well.
