Disability Rights Groups File Court Brief in Support of Challenge to Governor Abbott鈥檚 Order to Limit Ballot Drop-Off Locations
HOUSTON 鈥� Leading disability rights groups鈥擜DAPT Texas, REV UP Texas, and Disability Rights Texas鈥攆iled a friend of the court brief in support of the current lawsuit to block Gov. Greg Abbott鈥檚 order to limit ballot drop-off locations.
Represented by the 老澳门开奖结果 of Texas, the Texas Civil Rights Project, Disability Rights Texas, and the law firm of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP, the groups seek to protect the voting rights of individuals with disabilities.The brief was filed in response to Gov. Abbott鈥檚 Oct. 1 proclamation ordering counties to limit ballot drop-off locations to one per county, disproportionately impacting voters with disabilities who already face significant obstacles to voting and are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. The civil rights and disability rights groups argue that multiple drop-off sites are needed to allow all Texans to vote safely.
鈥淕overnor Abbott鈥檚 last minute Executive Order limiting drop boxes to one in every county is outrageous and blatantly discriminatory,鈥� said Bob Kafka, REV UP Texas CoCoordinator.鈥淚t will further restrict the options people with disabilities have to vote during COVID-19.鈥�
"Many people with disabilities already face additional barriers when voting. By ordering the closure of drop-off sites, the State of Texas is making it even more difficult for people with disabilities to vote,鈥� said Lia S. Davis, Senior Attorney for Disability Rights Texas. 鈥淭his not only unconscionable, it is also a violation of federal civil rights laws."
鈥淚t is outrageous that Governor Abbott is recklessly making it more difficult to vote, upending plans by Texas counties to make it safer and more convenient for people to drop-off their ballots,鈥� said Andre Segura, legal director for the 老澳门开奖结果 of Texas. 鈥淎s we鈥檝e written to the Court, people with disabilities will face particular challenges, risk severe harm, and ultimately may be deterred from voting due to his decision to limit drop-off locations. The Court should put a stop to this attempt to suppress the fundamental right to vote.鈥�
鈥淔orcing voters with disabilities to a single, oftentimes distant ballot drop-off site puts their health at risk and devalues their voices at this critical time in our country鈥檚 history,鈥� said Nimish R. Desai, Partner, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP. 鈥淲e are hopeful this litigation leads to the reopening of the additional sites, so that all Texans can vote in a safe, convenient, and secure manner.鈥�
"Simply put, not only does the Governor's anti-voter proclamation open the door to more COVID-19 infections, it also violates the civil rights of people with disabilities," said Hani Mirza, senior staff attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project. "As our clients show in this brief, reducing the number of mail-in-ballot drop-off facilities is another slap in their face when they already face enormous barriers to casting a ballot. It says to them that scoring political points is more important than their right to vote."
The amicus brief was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas in Austin.
A copy of the brief can be found here:
