5th Circuit upholds Texas' ban on paid ballot harvesting, overturning lower court

Federal appeals court upholds Texas law banning paid ballot harvesting, reversing lower court ruling and allowing state to enforce election restrictions.

Under the statute, a person commits a crime if he knowingly provides "vote harvesting services" in exchange for compensation or another benefit. The law defines those services as in-person interaction with one or more voters, in the physical presence of an official ballot, intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure.

The law targets paid political operatives who go door to door, help voters request or complete mail ballots and then collect those ballots, sometimes while advising or pressuring voters as they mark them.