Fifth Circuit revives Texas mail-ballot ID rules, overturning lower court block

On Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an 11-page opinion that overturned a March 2025 district court order striking down nine sections of Senate Bill 1, Texas’s comprehensive 2021 election reform. The appellate judges reinstated requirements that mail-in ballot applicants provide an identification or social security number and that voters and any assistants sign an oath affirming no coercion and disclosing relationships.

The court found the plaintiffs lacked standing on most claims and rejected arguments that the provisions violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Judge Andrew Oldham wrote that none of the challenges justified interfering with the legislature’s effort to prevent fraud and protect election integrity. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hailed the ruling as a “major victory.” The opinion also cited a decline in ballot rejections from 11% to 2.7% after the law’s implementation, referencing a 2022 study showing one-in-seven primary voters had their applications rejected.