A federal Judge in Texas has ruled the state violated an agreement it made in July to soften its voter ID law, one of the strictest in the country and as a result, will have to reprint their voter education materials. In July, a court ruled that the Texas voter ID law discriminated against Blacks and Hispanics who were less likely than Whites to have government-issued photo ID’s. Texas officials agreed to ease the photo ID restrictions allowing other forms of identification to be used, but the phrasing in their voting guidelines did not make that clear. According to the agreement made in July voters would be allowed to cast their ballots with a signed affidavit and a paycheck, bank statement, utility bill or other government document that included their name.
Texas State Senator Royce West told NewsOne Now the use of misleading voter education documentation “is just another indication of what’s going on in America.”
“When we look at police shootings, when we look at issues concerning poverty and when we look at the voting rights issue we see that African Americans continue to be suppressed and the question becomes when are we going to react to this suppression type issues?”
During his remarks, State Sen. West commended the circuit court judge who upheld the July ruling making sure that the mandate of the Fith Circuit remain intact and that “all people get an opportunity to vote in this upcoming election” as well as ensuring that the voter education materials would not be “deceptive.”
Full Article: Judge Orders Texas Officials To Reprint Misleading Voter Education Materials | News One.
