#Texas federal judge says 127K drive-thru votes to count in election

A federal judge in Texas on Monday ruled that 127,000 ballots cast at at drive-thru voting sites will be counted in the presidential election, despite a push from Republicans to invalidate the ballots.

Judge Andrew Hanen rejected the last-ditch bid by conservative activists challenging 10 voting sites set up in Harris County as an alternative option for its nearly 5 million residents amid concerns over spreading COVID-19.

The decision comes on the heels of a similar ruling in Texas Supreme Court over the weekend.

The outcome of the lawsuit was hotly anticipated as the race is expected to be very tight in the county.

While President Trump won in the Lone Star State by nine points in the last election, Democrat Joe Biden could still have a chance in the historically Republican state, polls show.

Harris County has already received 1.4 million early votes, including the 127,000 cast at the drive-thru locations. Over 20,000 more votes are expected to take place at the drive-thru locations on Tuesday, according to top local election official County Clerk Chris Hollins.

Texas has already surpassed its 2016 vote total.

With Post wires