AUSTIN, Texas — A federal judge in San Antonio has halted a provision of the controversial election law Senate Bill 1 that made it a crime for election officials to solicit mail-in ballots.
Federal District Judge Xavier Rodriguez made the ruling Friday night after taking testimony on a request for an injunction against the law. His ruling found that SB 1 violated the free speech rights of election administrators seeking to inform voters about mail-in ballots.
The ruling comes as election administrators across Texas have been preparing to conduct the first statewide election since SB 1 took effect in December. Early voting for March 1′s primary begins Monday.
