A pair of court decisions this week could make a significant impact on the November elections.

On Tuesday, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that three Green Party candidates must be restored to the November ballot, despite a lower court's order to remove them because they had not paid the required filing fees. The conventional wisdom is that Green Party candidates tend to attract some voters who may have otherwise voted for a Democrat, and their presence in a close race could tip the balance toward the Republican candidate. The Texas Democratic Party filed the original complaint to remove the candidates, while the Republican justices on the Texas Supreme Court overturned the decision.

Another Texas Supreme Court decision announced Tuesday blocked Harris County from sending mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters in the county. As previously reported here at Teach the Vote, ballot applications are not the same as ballots themselves. In the Harry County case, voters would still have to make the determination of whether they are eligible to apply to vote by mail, then fill out and return the application in order to receive an actual ballot in the mail. If think you may be eligible and are considering voting by mail, check out this post by Teach the Vote that explains the process in detail.

These decisions underscore the importance of every single vote in this election. These decisions are likely to impact a relatively small number of votes, but the reason they are the subject of litigation in the first place is an acknowledgement of just how close the November elections could be.

Now onto lighter topics!

If you watched ABC this week, you may have caught the network special VOMO: Vote or Miss Out. The comedy special hosted by Kevin Hart featured guest appearances by Tiffany Hadish, Michelle Obama, Tim Allen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and other celebrities urging Americans to vote. If you need a little comedic motivation, you can watch the full special here or watch clips on YouTube.

Your vote = your voice! 👏 #VOMO @americanidol @cristela9 pic.twitter.com/KcZ7KOZbBB

— ABC (@ABCNetwork) September 15, 2020

The Texas Tribune reported this week that new voter registrations in Texas have plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline to register to vote in the November 3 election is less than three weeks away. Voters have until October 5 to register to vote if you have not already done so in the county in which you plan to cast your ballot. If you're unsure whether you are registered, you can use this tool on the Texas Secretary of State's website. For more information about registering, click here.