Judge Okays Straight Ticket Voting In Texas

Austin (AP) – A federal judge has blocked Texas from eliminating straight-ticket voting in November. The decision Friday by U.S. District Judge Mariana Garcia Marmolejo would allow voters to choose one party’s entire slate of candidates in the November election that is now less than six weeks away. Most states don’t offer straight-ticket voting. Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed a law removing that option in 2020. Democrats say the move disproportionately harms Black and Latino voters by making voting lines longer in cities where ballots are longer.