Judge blocks order limiting Texas ballot drop-off locations

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas on Friday halted Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that shuttered dozens of mail ballot drop-off sites weeks before November’s election, authorizing only one for every county no matter the size. Abbott’s order dramatically reduced the number of places in Texas where voters could drop off mail ballots during early voting and most heavily impacted the state’s largest cities, which are also Democratic strongholds. He issued the order Oct. 1 as voters had already begun returning ballots for the Nov. 3 election. The move brought swift accusations of voter suppression...