By Moses Leos III
Prior to July, voters in Texas were required to present a valid photo ID in order to cast a ballot at their local polling place.
Following a ruling from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana, federal judges determined that the previous Texas voter ID laws from 2011 violated the Voting Rights Act.
The ruling, which focused on whether or not the voter ID laws discriminated against Hispanic and African-American voters, now provides many the opportunity to cast their ballot this November.
With the changes in place, voters heading to the polls this November can bring alternative forms of identification, which will be accepted.
Accepted forms of photo ID in Texas include a valid Texas driver’s license, Texas election identification certificate, Texas personal ID, Texas handgun license, U.S military ID, U.S citizenship certificate, and U.S passport.
If a registered voter lacks a photo ID, accepted alternative forms of identification include a valid voter registration certificate, certified birth certificate, current utility bill, copy of bank statement, government check, paycheck, or any other government document with your name and address.
Copies and originals of the documents listed will be accepted.
Along with these documents, voters will need to sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration to verify their identity and reason for not being able to obtain an accepted form of identification.
As long as the voter’s name appears on the list of registered voters, election officers at the polls are required to provide the form to voters, which the voter will then fill out.
Election officers are also not allowed to question the “reasonableness” of the options selected by the registered voter.
Once the form has been completed, the election officer will complete the rest of the form, and allow the voter to cast their regular ballot.
The previous voter identification law drew criticism for its short list of accepted documents, which were exclusively limited to photo IDs. Texas was one of only six states that required this from registered voters.
Many argued that the new laws disenfranchised minority voters, and the federal judges backed up that argument with their decision to have Texas change the laws for the upcoming November election, according to report.
Earlier this month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed the ruling, but asked to wait until after the November election, according to a report from the San Antonio Express News.
For more information on how and where to vote call: 1.800.252.VOTE (8683), or visit their website at votetexas.gov.
What’s a valid ID?