Fifth Circuit restores core parts of Texas election law

The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals handed Texas a significant win Wednesday by restoring core sections of its election law. This decision came after a grueling five-year legal battle where the appeals court repeatedly overturned lower court rulings that blocked Senate Bill 1. The eleven-page opinion effectively cleared nine parts of the 2021 legislation, which altered rules for mail-in voting and voter assistance in the state.

Judge Andrew Oldham wrote in his ruling that the bulk of the plaintiffs' claims failed because they lacked standing to sue. One claim did fail on its merits, yet none justified interfering with the State Legislature's work to prevent fraud and protect election integrity. The judge noted the court had reversed the district court on everything during this long period of litigation.

The restored requirements ask Texans voting by mail to provide an identification number or Social Security number on their applications. That data must match state records. The law also sets up a process for voters to fix defective ballots and mandates that anyone filling out a ballot signs an oath stating they did not coerce the voter. This applies to both the voter and anyone helping them complete the form.

A district judge initially blocked these rules in March 2025 after combining several lawsuits over accessibility concerns. Plaintiffs argued the new requirements made voting too difficult for some people with disabilities, claiming a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Texas allows specific groups to vote by mail, including those aged 65 or older and others who qualify due to a disability.

The appeals court found these groups lacked legal standing for most challenges and rejected another challenge entirely. Fox News Digital reached out to attorneys representing the plaintiffs but has not received comment yet. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a defendant in the suit, celebrated the outcome on social media as a major victory for his side.

Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1 following a contentious fight over election rules back in 2021. The law specifically targeted voting initiatives Harris County used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Democratic lawmakers and civil rights organizations opposed the measure fiercely, even to the point where Texas House Democrats broke quorum in an unsuccessful attempt to stop it.

The court also highlighted a sharp drop in rejected mail-in ballots after the law took effect. The share of applications or ballots thrown out due to identification-number errors fell from 11 percent down to just 2.7 percent. This data point suggests the new verification steps improved accuracy without necessarily blocking legitimate voters.