Appeals Court Rules Texas Voter-ID Law Must Be Relaxed

A federal appeals court has struck down Texas’ voter ID law, ruling that the Republican-backed measure first passed in 2011 violates the Voting Rights Act.

The plaintiffs, including individual voters, civil rights groups, and the Justice Department, said it was discriminatory because a far greater share of poor people and minorities do not have these forms of identification and lack easy access to birth certificates or other documents needed to obtain them. A 5th Circuit three-judge panel ruled unanimously that the law does not equate to a “poll tax” but does discriminate against minority voters. Democrats maintain that voter fraud cases are rare and requiring a photo ID prevents thousands of Texans from casting ballots.

“Texas will continue to fight for its voter ID requirement to ensure the integrity of elections in the Lone Star State”, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement cited by the New York Times Wednesday.

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said the decision is “a victory for every Texas voter”.

In the 1960s, black and white demonstrators in the South marched, suffered and even gave their lives so that all Americans might be guaranteed the right to vote.

Until then, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the law will remain in effect, though he did not acknowledge the issues raised by court’s mixed ruling.

“In light of ongoing voter fraud, it is imperative that Texas has a voter ID law that prevents cheating at the ballot box”, Abbott said.

Davis, who unsuccessfully ran for governor last year, noted that the Voter ID law was allowed to be in place during the 2014 elections. “Rather, it drew from the State’s power to set voter qualifications by requiring all voters to present a valid form of photo identification at the polls”.

The New Orleans panel sustained the lower court’s ruling that the law interacts with “social and historical conditions in Texas to cause an inequality in the electoral opportunities enjoyed by African-Americans and Hispanic voters”.

“But the essence of the finding was that this law had a discriminatory impact on minority voters in the state of Texas”, said Davis, who wasn’t named in the lawsuit but did testify in the case.

The Obama administration has been trying to counter a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June 2013 that overturned parts of the Voting Rights Act.

Texas appealed her decision to the 5th Circuit, which, without deciding the issues, put the identification law back into effect, saying it would be too disruptive to change the rules so close to Election Day. “The right to vote is the most precious right and obligation you have”. The acceptable list is shorter than any other state’s.