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  2020-10-29

  Polling Places Are Closing Due To COVID-19.

  The surge of COVID-19 cases across the United States has impacted voting across the country. Not only are some people afraid to vote in person but people are afraid of working at polls, resulting in a shortage of polls workers. Because of poll closures, people are being forced to find new polls. Low-income are being impacted by these closures due to the time it takes to find new polls and the cost of reaching them. Minorities are also impacted because they already faced longer than average wait times before COVID-19 when all polls were open.
• 2020-10-10

  Masks are not required at polling places in Texas

  Though democracy has won two important cases in Texas, the Texas Supreme Court upheld the additional week of early voting and struck down the limit of ballot drop off boxes to one per county, Texas voters must still face unnecessary risk to exercise their right to vote. Governor Greg Abbott issued both of the orders mentioned above and also issued a state wide mask mandate in the summer of 2020 for all counties with more than 20 reported Covid-19 cases. Masks became a requirement in those counties in the case that social distancing was not possible, places like a polling place where record voter turn out will force people to be waiting in lines for long periods of time and also being with lots of people indoors. The governor's mask mandate does come with a few exception. One being polling places. Texans are not required to wear a mask at a polling place because the governor believes this presents an undue burden to anyone that does not have a mask. This is an especially bogus argument in a state that requires voters to present ID. Not to mention it would be easy enough for the state to offer masks at the polling place.