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Harris County clerk to only send mail-in ballots to voters age 65 and older

County Clerk Chris Hollins said for now he is going to hold off on sending applications to all voters pending the lawsuit.

HOUSTON — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from Monday's report that the Texas attorney general had filed a lawsuit against the Harris County clerk.

The Harris County clerk is holding off his plan to send ballot applications to every registered voter in Harris County.

County Clerk Chris Hollins said for now he is going to send ballot applications to everyone 65 and older.

Hollis added he will wait for the lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to work its way through the court to see if he can send ballot applications to other people in the county.

“The law’s on our side on this, plain and simple. We’re gonna have our day in court,” Hollins said.

Hollins thinks that court date will happen later this week or early next week.

Hollis also said he tried to discuss this with the Texas Secretary of State but a discussion did not take place. Then Paxton filed his lawsuit on Monday, according to a report from the Texas Tribune.

In his lawsuit, Paxton alleges Hollins does not have the authority under state law to carry out the plan.

RELATED: Texas sues Harris County to stop it from sending all voters applications for mail-in ballots

According to the Tribune’s report, there is no state law that specifically prohibits election officials from sending out mail-in ballot applications to all voters. Instead, Paxton argues that county clerks are only “expressly empowered” by the Texas Election Code to send out applications to voters who request them, “but there is no statute empowering County Clerks to send applications to vote by mail to voters who have not requested such an application.”

On Tuesday, Hollins pushed back.

“Texas law, as strange as it can be, it allows the county clerk and the election administrator to share information with voters,” Hollins said. “In allows the county clerk and election administrator to share information with voters and in fact requires us to share forms with the public.”

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