Justice Department bars Texas voter ID law

The Justice Department has blocked a new law in Texas requiring voters to show a photo ID, saying that it disproportionately harms Hispanic residents.
The action is the second time in three months that the Obama administration has blocked a state voter ID law. In December, the Justice Department struck down South Carolina’s new law requiring photo identification at the polls, saying it discriminated against minority voters.
In the case of South Carolina, officials said the South Carolina law adversely affected African American voters. In Texas, the law, signed last year by Gov. Rick Perry (R), discriminates against Hispanics, the Justice Department said.
“Even using the data most favorable to the state, Hispanics disproportionately lack either a driver’s license or a personal identification card,” wrote Thomas Perez, head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, in a letter to Keith Ingram, director of elections for the Texas Secretary of State.
The Justice Department’s challenge signals an escalating national legal battle over voter ID laws as the presidential campaign intensifies. Eight states passed voter ID laws last year, and critics say the new statutes could hurt turnout among minorities and others who helped elect President Obama in 2008. But conservative supporters and Republican attorneys general say the tight laws are needed to combat voter fraud.
The Justice Department has blocked both the South Carolina and Texas voter ID laws under Section 5 of the historic 1965 Voting Rights Act. The provision requires 16 states or parts of states with a history of discrimination to get federal approval of any changes to their voting laws.
www.washingtonpost.com...

This is an insult to "African-Americans, Hispanics, people of low-income and college students." The DOJ is essentially accusing "African-Americans, Hispanics, people of low-income and college students" of being inept to the point they can't bring an ID with them to vote... an ID they likely already have or could easily obtain

Good. Glad to see the DOJ doing something right. These voter id laws are a VERY thinly veiled attempt to suppress votes, pure and simple. The FACTS behind voter fraud, and I know the GOP doesn't like to let facts get in their way, are that voter fraud in the US, of the type addressed by these laws, is virtually non-existent.

And yet, all the "Big government is bad, get government off our backs" types seem to be all for government intervention in this area, where there is no evidence to support the intrusion.

How odd.

reply to post by Open_Minded Skeptic


No. We have to show ID for everything else already and a college ID among others are good enough to cast a vote(in Florida it is). This law protects against voter fraud and is already in place in many other states. So it makes absolutely no sense for the Justice Department to go after Texas and no one else.

Since this topic has already been covered on ATS, I don't know if this thread will remain open.

I have a suggestion to Texas to counter this stiff arm from the government: SECEDE and become your own country!

Anybody have any doubts that the USDOJ, directed by the President, has declared war on the legal residents and citizens of the US? They ignore border security and true voter intimidation by the Black Panthers and union thugs, and block states from trying to protect themselves and their Constitutional rights. For the whining liberals, remember if they can trample on my rights, yours are next.

Originally posted by Open_Minded Skeptic
Good. Glad to see the DOJ doing something right. These voter id laws are a VERY thinly veiled attempt to suppress votes, pure and simple. The FACTS behind voter fraud, and I know the GOP doesn't like to let facts get in their way, are that voter fraud in the US, of the type addressed by these laws, is virtually non-existent.

And yet, all the "Big government is bad, get government off our backs" types seem to be all for government intervention in this area, where there is no evidence to support the intrusion.

How odd.

Slavery and voting both comprise a full 22% of the subject matter of the 27 amendments of the Constitution. Voting is probably important enough to protect with a voter ID with a picture.

/TOA

The present administration, Obama, et.al., as well as liberals all over the country are well aware of the fact that they cannot win this election if only citizens of this country vote. They need all the dead people and illegals to vote for him. That is why (liberal) election officials refuse to purge the voting registers. That is why (liberal) community organizers promote fraudulant voter registration.

Voter fraud has been going on for a very long time. It is time to put an end to it and let the true voice of the people be heard.

Thank goodness -- sanity prevails.

There's no proof that current election setup is causing a lot of voter fraud or that there's an unusual number of any kind of illegal votes (much less illegal Hispanic votes) here. The real problem is getting more than a few thousand people to vote in ANY election other than Presidential elections (and even there we've had problems with voter turnout.)

We are required to bring proof of residency/ID with us. In the past, there's been fewer than five complaints about someone voting who shouldn't have: www.chron.com...

We didn't need an additional law and thank goodness they knocked this one out before the Presidential elections.

Originally posted by 1PLA1
Voter fraud has been going on for a very long time. It is time to put an end to it and let the true voice of the people be heard.

The voice of the voters is being heard -- BUT -- I keep seeing conservative voters here saying "well, I haven't actually voted before..." It's true. They don't vote to change things. They're happy the way things are.

Liberals and moderates, however, feel the system can be improved. THEY come out and vote.

I vote in most city, state, county, and national elections and I see who's coming out. I have friends who have been poll watchers. If everyone stays home, that's not fraud -- that's disinterest.