Federal appellate court says Texas ID law violates Voting Rights Act
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court in New Orleans struck down Texas' strict voter ID law, saying it discriminated against Hispanic and black voters and was in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Texas law, passed in 2011, requires voters to bring a government-issued photo ID to the polls, with acceptable forms of ID including a driver's license, U.S. passport, and a concealed-handgun license. University ID cards and copies of bills are not considered valid. A lower court ruled in 2014 that the law was discriminatory, but the state was allowed to keep it in place because the midterm elections were about to be held. Now, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is sending the law to the lower court in Corpus Christi, which will decide if was enacted with discriminatory intent.
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