A Virginia law requiring voters to show photo identification went on trial in federal court on Monday, challenged by Democratic Party activists who allege it throws up barriers to voting by minorities and the poor. Lawyers defending the 2013 Virginia law said it prevented voter fraud. The trial in U.S. District Court is one of several voting rights legal battles as Democrats and Republicans square off before November’s presidential and congressional elections. The Democratic Party of Virginia and two party activists are suing the Virginia State Board of Elections and want Judge Henry Hudson to strike down the law.
Attorney Bruce Spiva, representing those challenging the measure, said the photo ID law was an effort to hamper the Democratic Party in the state. It creates “irrational hoops that people have to jump through” and has a “disproportional impact on people of color,” Spiva said.
Mark Hearne, an independent counsel for the state attorney general, dismissed the allegations. “It is impossible to show a suppressive effect on minorities from the photo ID law,” Hearne said. He added the law was an effort to protect against voter fraud.
Full Article: Virginia’s voter ID law challenged in federal trial | Reuters.