Tarrant won’t say if it will enforce judge’s ruling that masks must be worn while voting
A federal judge in San Antonio has ruled that face coverings must be worn at polling locations in Texas. But Tarrant County declined to say whether it would enforce the order because the issue has been appealed.
When Gov. Greg Abbott enacted his mask order in July, one of his exemptions was that a face covering wouldn’t be required while voting because he did not want voters turned away because they didn’t have a mask.
U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019, ruled Tuesday that Abbott’s exemption “creates a discriminatory burden on Black and Latino voters.”
The Black and Latino community has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the pandemic has created heightened fear and anxiety in Hispanic and Black families as many work essential jobs and have limited access to health care and health information.
Pulliam wrote that under Abbott’s order, these communities had to make the “the unfortunate choice required between voting and minimizing their risk” of exposure.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed the ruling Wednesday to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
A Tarrant County spokesperson told the Star-Telegram that officials had no comment.
Three voting sites have closed temporarily during early voting because a worker tested positive for coronavirus. Some Fort Worth-area residents say they’re concerned that voting machines aren’t being cleaned after each use and that, at many polling sites, machines are so close together it’s not possible for visitors to socially distance.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said on Oct. 20 that he’s received complaints about people not wearing masks, but the county’s district attorney’s office told Whitley it would not recommend the county treat voters who don’t wear a mask differently because that would raise concerns about constitutional voting issues.
