Federal appeals court restores Texas mail ballot ID requirements in major election integrity ruling

The 5th U.S.Circuit Court of Appeals restored key parts of Texas’ election law Wednesday, handing the state a major win after repeatedly reversing the lower court during a five-year legal fight.The 11-page ruling overturned a lower court decision that blocked nine parts of Senate Bill 1, a 2021 law that changed Texas’ rules for mail-in voting and voter assistance.The appeals court pointed to its repeated reversals in the case, noting that it has "reversed the district court on everything" during roughly five years of litigation.JUDGE HANDS TRUMP MAIL-BALLOT WIN FOR NOW AS DEMOCRATS’ NEXT MOVE LOOMSMuhammed Nasrullah, a Harris County voter registrar, distributes mail-in voting applications at a food distribution event in Houston on Sept.

25, 2020.A federal appeals court on Wednesday restored key parts of a Texas law governing mail-in voting and voter assistance.

(Marie D.De Jesus/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)"The bulk of the plaintiffs’ claims fail for lack of standing.

One fails on the merits.But none justifies interference with the State Legislature’s efforts to prevent voter fraud and to protect election integrity," Judge Andrew Oldham wrote in the opinion.The restored rules include requirements for Texans voting by mail to provide an identification number or Social Security number on ballot applications and for that information to match state records.

The law also lays out a process for voters to fix defective ballots and requires voters and people helping them fill out ballots to sign an oath stating they did not coerce the voter.A district judge blocked the rules in March 2025 after several lawsuits challenging the law over accessibility concerns were combined.The plaintiffs argued the requirements made voting too difficult for some voters with disabilities and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.Texas allows several groups to vote by mail, including voters who are 65 or older and those who qualify because of a disability.MAGA TRIU...