NAACP Commends Federal Judge’s Decision to Strike Down Texas’s Discriminatory Voter ID Law

BALTIMORE, MD — A federal judge has ruled that Texas’ restrictive photo ID law, SB 14, violated both Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. During proceedings, the NAACP, along with other civil rights organizations and the Justice Department, argued that SB 14 disproportionally affected minority, elderly and working class voters.

Additionally, SB 14’s restrictive requirement of acceptable ID amounted to an illegal poll tax. The district decision concluded that there was sufficient evidence in the record to show that the proponents of SB 14 were actually “motivated, at the very least in part, because of and not merely in spite of the voter ID law’s detrimental effects on the African-American and Hispanic electorate. The state must return to previous voter identification requirements for the 2014 elections in November.” The NAACP applauds the court’s decision to ensure all Texans can exercise an unfettered right to vote.

From Gary Bledsoe, President of the Texas NAACP State Conference:

“We are greatly encouraged by today’s decision to strike down Texas’ restrictive photo ID law, SB 14. The court discovered what African American and Latino civil rights leaders have known for some time — the law discriminates against minority voters and was designed to do just that.”