Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an appeal with the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston, urging the court to prevent Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins from sending over two million unsolicited mail-in ballot applications to registered voters in Harris County, many of whom do not qualify to vote by mail. Hollins’s plan to unlawfully send mail-in ballot applications circumvents the careful limits the Constitution places on county officials’ authority and blatantly violates Texas election law. Harris County is required to respond by 9 a.m. Monday, September 14, and the Office of the Attorney General requested relief be granted no later than 5 p.m. on the same day.

Under Texas election law, mail-in ballots are reserved for a few limited categories of qualified voters who are age 65 and older and voters who are disabled. The proposed mass mailing would sow confusion because applications would go to all registered voters, regardless of whether they legally qualify to vote a mail ballot and regardless of whether they even want to vote by mail. Texas law requires the clerk to send applications to voters who specifically request them.

Read a copy of the appeal here.