Update: Attorney General Paxton Secures Legal Victory Upholding ID Requirements for Mail-In Ballots
August 14, 2026 | AUSTIN
Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a major victory for election integrity as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed a federal district court ruling that upheld challenges to key provisions of Texas’s Election Integrity Act, Senate Bill (SB) 1.
In 2021, the Texas Legislature enacted SB 1 to strengthen election integrity, protect ballot secrecy, deter fraud, and safeguard the security of Texas elections, particularly in the mail-in voting process.
Across multiple appeals, Attorney General Paxton has successfully defended different provisions of SB 1 in the Fifth Circuit. The provisions challenged in this case require voters casting ballots by mail to provide an identification number or Social Security number that matches state records. It also includes provisions giving voters multiple opportunities to correct certain defects with their mail-in ballots. SB 1 further strengthens protections surrounding voter assistance to prevent coercion and intimidation at the polling place. Individuals who assist voters must sign an oath affirming that they did not coerce or intimidate the voter, disclose their relationship to the voter, and state whether they received compensation from a candidate, campaign, or political committee.
“My office has worked tirelessly to secure this legal victory for election integrity by safeguarding mail-in ballots and enforcing other critical safeguards in Texas,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Fair and honest elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. I will continue to defend Texas laws that protect lawful voters, deter fraud, and ensure Texans can trust our elections.”
Attorney General Paxton previously successfully upheld Texas’s ban on compensated “vote harvesting services” intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure. The law prohibits this activity when conducted in person and in the physical presence of an official ballot or a voted mail ballot.
To read the opinion, click here.
