TEXAS VOTER ID LAW GOES TO COURT

TEXAS VOTER ID LAW GOES TO COURT

Bill Mears

            Trying to pass a new voting law, Texas State officials went to federal court on Monday. It is required by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that the federal government oversee any state’s “attempt to change any voting qualification.” This includes Texas’ proposed law, SB 14. In effect, SB 14 would require government issued identification from voters.

            Texas wants SB 14 in effect to prevent voter fraud. Director of Texas’s election division, Keith Ingram, indentified 239 dead people casting a ballot in the past year. However, organizations such as the NAACP and the Justice Department argue that the new law would deny hundreds of thousands of people the right to vote. Many of the denied would be minorities and disabled individuals.

            Although the State of Texas provides free ID cards for those seeking them to vote, the cards would need to be obtained in person at an ID office. There are only 81 Texas counties that have these offices, preventing persons who are financially or physically unable to travel from casting a ballot.

            According to the Constitution, only citizens of the United States may vote. It is against the constitution to deny any US citizen the right to vote based on religion or race. The 15^th Amendment states:

 “1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

            The voting rights act reinforces the 15^th Amendment, saying at "voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure ... to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color."

Even though SB 4 would not directly discriminate against people or color, it does put up barriers against people who don’t already have identification. Section II of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits the refusal of an qualified voted to vote. the act of turning an eligible voter down because he/she does not have the proper, state issued ID is particularly controversial.

            Perhaps the Texas government can make it easier for citizens to attain ID. They could open up more offices or send identification through the mail. However, it may be more financially benficial to implement stricter monitoring of voting fraud.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/09/us/texas-voter-id-law