Texas Governor Limits Ballot Drop-Off Locations, Local Officials Vow To Fight Back

Local officials in Texas say they plan to fight a new order from Gov. Greg Abbott to limit the number of places where voters can hand deliver mail-in ballots.

Abbott announced the order Thursday, the same day local election officials opened the drop-off sites.

Starting Friday, Abbott said in a statement, "mail ballots that are delivered in person by voters who are eligible to vote by mail must be delivered to a single early voting clerk's office location as publicly designated by a county's early voting clerk."

Abbott said the order was an effort to enhance "ballot security protocols" for mail-in ballots, though he offered no evidence having multiple sites would affect the security of these ballots.

"The State of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our elections," Abbott said in his statement. "As we work to preserve Texans' ability to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must take extra care to strengthen ballot security protocols throughout the state. These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting."