On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice prevented Texas from implementing a law that would require voters to show state-issued photo identification at the polls.
Under the Voting Rights Act, Texas must seek preclearance of proposed changes in any law affecting the franchise.
Based on information supplied by Texas, the DOJ concluded that the enforcement of the law would have a disparate impact on Hispanic voters who were more likely not to have drivers' licenses or state-issued IDs than white voters.
According to the Voting Rights Act's preclearance provisions, a state has the burden of demonstrating that a proposed change in a law affecting the vote would not make it more difficult for racial or ethnic minorities to vote.
The issue will continue to be debated nationally as 32 states have legislation pending that would require state-approved identification in order to register to vote.
Can you identify the real issue there?
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Inquiries about this post may be directed to Professor Randolph McLaughlin at 212-619-5400