5th Circuit Court Restores Texas Mail Ballot ID Requirements

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated key provisions of Texas' election law on August 13, 2026, reversing a lower court decision that had blocked nine parts of Senate Bill 1, which was enacted in 2021. The ruling noted that the appeals court had consistently reversed the district court's decisions during the five-year legal battle. Judge Andrew Oldham stated that the plaintiffs' claims largely failed due to lack of standing and did not warrant interference with state efforts to ensure election integrity. The restored rules mandate that mail-in voters provide an identification number or Social Security number that matches state records, establish a process for correcting defective ballots, and require voters and those assisting them to sign an oath confirming no coercion occurred. A district judge had previously blocked these rules, citing accessibility concerns for voters with disabilities. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a defendant in the case, referred to the ruling as a significant victory. The law was initially passed in response to voting initiatives used during the COVID-19 pandemic, which faced opposition from Democratic lawmakers and civil rights organizations.