Federal Court Rules Against Key Provision in Texas Anti-Voter Law; Major Victory for Civil Rights Groups
News
October 4, 2024
On September 28, a federal court ruled against a key provision of Texas’ anti-voter law Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) in a victory for voting rights in the state. The lawsuit, filed in 2021, challenged numerous provisions of SB 1, including its restriction of compensated canvassers from engaging in voter advocacy in the presence of a mail-in ballot.
The district court ruled that SB 1’s canvassing restriction violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments for being unconstitutionally vague, underinclusive, overly broad, and restricting free speech.
“We are incredibly pleased with the federal court’s ruling. This is a significant step towards ensuring equal access to voting, a foundation of our democracy,” said Partners Jessica Ring Amunson and Alex Trepp. “We are proud to partner with co-counsel on this important work to protect the right to vote.”
Jenner & Block joined the Texas Civil Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Disability Rights Texas to file the lawsuit on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Texas, Register, Educate, Vote, & Use your Power - Texas (REV UP Texas), and OCA Greater Houston.
Additional wins related to this lawsuit include an August 2023 ruling that states mail-ballot ID-matching provisions of Senate Bill 1 violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the successful 2022 challenge to S.B. 1’s limitations on the type of assistance that may be rendered to Limited English speaking and disabled voters. Other parts of the case remain pending before the court.
In addition to Jessie and Alex, the Jenner team includes Associates Sophia Cai, Alyssa Bernstein, and Greg Washington, and Senior Paralegal Albert Peterson.
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© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.
News
October 4, 2024
On September 28, a federal court ruled against a key provision of Texas’ anti-voter law Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) in a victory for voting rights in the state. The lawsuit, filed in 2021, challenged numerous provisions of SB 1, including its restriction of compensated canvassers from engaging in voter advocacy in the presence of a mail-in ballot.
The district court ruled that SB 1’s canvassing restriction violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments for being unconstitutionally vague, underinclusive, overly broad, and restricting free speech.
“We are incredibly pleased with the federal court’s ruling. This is a significant step towards ensuring equal access to voting, a foundation of our democracy,” said Partners Jessica Ring Amunson and Alex Trepp. “We are proud to partner with co-counsel on this important work to protect the right to vote.”
Jenner & Block joined the Texas Civil Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Disability Rights Texas to file the lawsuit on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Texas, Register, Educate, Vote, & Use your Power - Texas (REV UP Texas), and OCA Greater Houston.
Additional wins related to this lawsuit include an August 2023 ruling that states mail-ballot ID-matching provisions of Senate Bill 1 violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the successful 2022 challenge to S.B. 1’s limitations on the type of assistance that may be rendered to Limited English speaking and disabled voters. Other parts of the case remain pending before the court.
In addition to Jessie and Alex, the Jenner team includes Associates Sophia Cai, Alyssa Bernstein, and Greg Washington, and Senior Paralegal Albert Peterson.
Related Lawyers
Related Locations
© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.
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