Texas counties have been barred from bringing criminal charges against local officials who encourage mail-in voting in the state.
U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez on Friday approved a temporary block against a contentious provision in a new Texas election law. The decision pushes back against arguments made by the Texas attorney general’s office that blocking the provision at this point could confuse voters, according to CNN.
Officials in Harris County, which is state’s most populous county and includes the city of Houston, lauded the Friday decision, saying that they would now have the ability to contact potential voters ahead of the deadline for mail-in ballot applications, CNN reported.
“This is a fantastic result that will benefit voters across Texas,” Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee told the outlet in a statement.