AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation Monday extending the early voting period for the Nov. 3, election by nearly a week.
The proclamation states that early voting by personal appearance will begin on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, and continue through Friday, October 30, 2020.
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Extending the early voting period for the November 3rd Election to give Texans greater flexibility to cast their ballots, while protecting themselves and others from #COVID19.
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) July 27, 2020
In-person early voting will now begin on Tuesday, October 13 and continue through Friday, October 30. pic.twitter.com/aq7qHhw2xF
Additionally, the proclamation also expands the period in which marked mail-in ballots may be delivered in person to the early voting clerk’s office, allowing such delivery prior to as well as on Election Day, according to the proclamation.
“As we respond to COVID-19, the State of Texas is focused on strategies that preserve Texans’ ability to vote in a way that also mitigates the spread of the virus,” Abbott said in a statement. “By extending the early voting period and expanding the period in which mail-in ballots can be hand-delivered, Texans will have greater flexibility to cast their ballots, while at the same time protecting themselves and others from COVID-19.”
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa called Gov. Abbott’s extension of the early voting period a “bare-minimum decision in the following statement:
“National public health and voting experts agree: We need expanded mail voting for Texans under the age of 65, more money for county clerks to carry out elections, and leadership from our state leaders that supports voters instead of disenfranchising their rights.”
Read the proclamation in full below: