In the year of 2016 the time will come for us, as a country, to decide on who should be the next president of the United States. In Texas, as you go to the booth to cast your ballot, you are required to carry a state-issued photo I.D. in order to vote. To some this is an intrusion of government in a place where it does not belong, and to others this is a welcomed change. We will take a closer look at what this law really means for those living in Texas and then you may decide for yourself. In 2011, the Texas Voter I.D. Law was enacted. Many believe that the law was passed as a way to further persuade the minority population (the democratic population) to not vote; however, this is false. The law was passed as a measure to prevent voting fraud.
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The fifteenth amendment states that the “rights of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude ("Primary Documents in American History").” Although we had the 15th amendment, it was not acknowledged until August 6th, 1965 with the passing of the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 further addresses discrimination based on race. In section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, it states that voting procedures discriminating against race or gender is barred ("History of the VRA"). The 15th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act, both limit the states abilities to set voter qualifications. If Texas wanted to enact a voting qualification stating that the voter must speak English, they would not be constitutionally allowed. The qualification would be unconstitutional. In the Voting Rights Act, under section 203, all states must supply multilingual ballots for those that do not speak English ("History of the VRA"). Both of these laws were passed in attempt to keep discrimination out of the voting process, state and …show more content…
Law is meant to keep voter fraud out of the election process. However, there have only been 50 fraudulent cases in the state of Texas since 2002, making it almost nonexistent. The initial reason for the law does not make it unconstitutional, however, the implementation of the law does. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the Texas Voter I.D. Law was indeed in violation of the Voting Rights Act: “We affirm the district court’s finding that SB 14 has a discriminatory effect in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act” (“‘Discriminatory’ Texas Voter ID Law Struck Down by Federal Court”). The reason why the law was ruled unconstitutional is because most the of the minority population in Texas do not have a state issued form of ID. To the rich and the middle class, it is as easy as going to the DMV to get a drivers license in order to vote; however, it is not as easy for the poor, which is where most of the minority population is financial wise. Being a part of the poor population is it not as simple as going to the DMV to get a drivers license. They will need a way to get to the DMV, which will cost money. On top of that then they will need money to pay for the ID and any documentation required to get an ID. Getting a state issued ID is not something that the poor can afford. If the republicans can keep the poor from getting to the ballot box to vote by requiring a state issued ID, then they are almost guaranteed a win. Many view the Texas Voter ID
The fifteenth amendment states that the “rights of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude ("Primary Documents in American History").” Although we had the 15th amendment, it was not acknowledged until August 6th, 1965 with the passing of the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 further addresses discrimination based on race. In section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, it states that voting procedures discriminating against race or gender is barred ("History of the VRA"). The 15th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act, both limit the states abilities to set voter qualifications. If Texas wanted to enact a voting qualification stating that the voter must speak English, they would not be constitutionally allowed. The qualification would be unconstitutional. In the Voting Rights Act, under section 203, all states must supply multilingual ballots for those that do not speak English ("History of the VRA"). Both of these laws were passed in attempt to keep discrimination out of the voting process, state and …show more content…
Law is meant to keep voter fraud out of the election process. However, there have only been 50 fraudulent cases in the state of Texas since 2002, making it almost nonexistent. The initial reason for the law does not make it unconstitutional, however, the implementation of the law does. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the Texas Voter I.D. Law was indeed in violation of the Voting Rights Act: “We affirm the district court’s finding that SB 14 has a discriminatory effect in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act” (“‘Discriminatory’ Texas Voter ID Law Struck Down by Federal Court”). The reason why the law was ruled unconstitutional is because most the of the minority population in Texas do not have a state issued form of ID. To the rich and the middle class, it is as easy as going to the DMV to get a drivers license in order to vote; however, it is not as easy for the poor, which is where most of the minority population is financial wise. Being a part of the poor population is it not as simple as going to the DMV to get a drivers license. They will need a way to get to the DMV, which will cost money. On top of that then they will need money to pay for the ID and any documentation required to get an ID. Getting a state issued ID is not something that the poor can afford. If the republicans can keep the poor from getting to the ballot box to vote by requiring a state issued ID, then they are almost guaranteed a win. Many view the Texas Voter ID