The Rio Grande Valley delegation to Washington D.C. sent a letter Thursday to Gov. Greg Abbott urging him to implement a “no-excuse vote-by-mail program” for all elections through 2020.
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, announced the effort in a news release Friday, saying the letter also calls for preserving in-person voting for those who need it as long as voting sites are structured in a way that allows officials to respond to any health concerns.
“Currently, many Texans are unable to vote-by-mail due to strict eligibility guidelines and varying laws across different municipalities, which causes confusion among the electorate and reduces voter turnout,” the legislators said in the joint letter. “This is particularly true as we continue to navigate the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.”
State officials have already postponed May elections until November.
Before that, multiple municipalities and local government bodies in the Rio Grande Valley voted to postpone May elections until November after the governor urged them to do so in a March 18 proclamation.
