Attorney General Ken Paxton today filed a reply in support of a petition for a writ of certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the Court to take up Texas’ voter ID law and correct the Fifth Circuit’s misguided ruling that the law violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The reply explains that the plaintiffs in the case got unprecedented access to internal legislative materials, yet still could not produce any evidence of intentional discrimination in the voter ID law.
“The success of American democracy hinges on whether or not voters trust the integrity of the election process,” Attorney General Paxton said. “Voter ID laws both prevent fraud as well as ensure that election results accurately reflect the will of Texas voters. The Legislature enacted common sense reforms, which should be respected by this nation’s courts.”
The Texas Legislature enacted the voter ID law in 2011 through Senate Bill 14 (SB 14), requiring voters to present government-issued photo ID when voting at the polls.