A Democratic congressman joined seven others Wednesday in filing a federal lawsuit to keep Texas from enforcing its voter ID law.
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth filed the papers in Corpus Christi federal court, calling the requirement to show a state-issued photo ID card at the ballot box unconstitutional.
The law “would have the effect of denying thousands of Texas voters the ability to vote in person, a large number of whom would be disenfranchised entirely since absentee voting in Texas is available to only certain specified categories of voters,” according to the lawsuit.
The case comes just one day after the U.S. Supreme Court declared a section of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. That decision overthrew a decision by federal judges in Washington that Texas could not enforce the voter ID law.
The Washington court had determined that the voter ID law was an example of “intentional discrimination” against minorities, and used its authority under the Voting Rights Act to stop its enforcement. But when the Supreme Court ruled the act wrongfully singled out Texas and other southern state for such preclearance, the court lost jurisdiction.
Texans will need to present one of the following forms of ID according to the Texas law:
-Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
-Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
-Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
-Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS
-United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph
-United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph
-United States passport
-With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, the identification must be current or have expired no more than 60 days before being presented at the polling place.
If can’t afford to attain one of these forms of ID, you can’t vote. And guess who won’t be able to afford an ID? I assure you, it isn’t wealthy white people.