Court Rejects Texas Voter ID Law

A federal court in Washington on Thursday struck down a Texas law that made photo identification a requirement to voting. The three-judge panel ruled that the law statute imposes “strict, unforgiving burdens on the poor.” The ruling also noted that the law would disproportionately affect minorities, who are more likely to not possess a driver’s license or passport. The same federal courthouse will decide on a challenge to South Carolina’s new photo-ID law, which went on trial this week and a decision is expected before the November election. A similar law in Pennsylvania was recently upheld. Strict voter-ID laws have become something of a rallying cry of conservatives this election cycle.