AUSTIN, Texas — Texas' attorney general has asked an appeals court to immediately block a judge's ruling that would have allowed a form of online voter registration.

A federal judge recently ruled the state isn't complying with a decades-old voter registration law and ordered it be fixed fast.

The measure requires letting people sign up to vote while getting or renewing their driver's license. Texans can already register in person at Department of Public Safety offices, but not when they renew their licenses online.

The state appealed the lower court's ruling and is now asking the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to issue an emergency stay.

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An emergency stay is necessary to maintain Texas’ current legislatively enacted voter registration procedures while the 5th Circuit reviews our case,” Attorney General Paxton said. “The district court’s flawed ruling goes way beyond what federal law requires and the court never had jurisdiction on this voter registration case from plaintiffs who were already registered.”

Paxton argues the judge included requirements that are not found in federal law, such as ordering state officials to create a public-education campaign to explain the new voter-registration process. It also points out that that the three individuals suing Texas lack standing because they were already registered to vote at the time they filed their lawsuit in March 2016.

Learn more about this topic and other issues affecting people across Texas on Capital Tonight airing Monday through Friday at 7 p.m., on channels 1, 8, and 200 in Austin and 14 and 200 in San Antonio. Stick with Spectrum News for continuing 2018 Election coverage.