A federal judge struck down a Texas law on Thursday that required mail-in voters to have the correct ID for their ballot to count.
U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez ruled that the voter ID requirement violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Rodriguez took issue with how provisions in the law “require officials to reject mail-in ballot applications and mail-in ballots based on errors or omissions on a record or paper relating to an act requisite to voting that are not material in determining whether voters are qualified under Texas law to vote or to cast a mail ballot.”
The DOJ filed the lawsuit after Texas Senate Bill 1 was passed in 2021 and led to an increase in rejected ballots, reported The Associated Press. Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general, touted the ruling as a win for civil liberties.
“This ruling sends a clear message that states may not impose unlawful and unnecessary requirements that disenfranchise eligible voters seeking to participate in our democracy,” Clarke said after the ruling, per the press release. “The Justice Department will continue to use every available tool to protect all Americans’ right to vote and to ensure that their voices are heard.”
Texas Senate Bill 1 was passed after Republicans raised concerns about a lack of voter ID requirements in the 2020 election. The law required voters to provide a state-issued ID number or the last four digits of their Social Security number to cast a mail-in ballot. Election officials were then required to verify the numbers in order to count the ballot.
Attorney General Merrick Garland praised the judge’s decision.
“The District Court’s decision affirms what the Justice Department has argued for nearly two years: these provisions of Texas Senate Bill 1 unlawfully restrict the ability of eligible Texas voters to vote by mail and to have that vote counted,” Garland said, per the press release. “The Justice Department will continue to defend against unlawful efforts that undermine the right to vote and restrict participation in our democracy.”
Reactions from those who support the law were swift.
Michael Quinn Sullivan, publisher of Texas Scorecard, reacted, “Federal judge rules against the most basic election integrity effort. Ready for the Big Steal 2024? … Thousands of ballots were rejected during the first election after the law was implemented. Texas is expected to appeal.”
In response to Sullivan’s post, Gene Pavlova tweeted, “A Woke judge makes a woke decision. You need an ID to get a library card, to get into a nightclub, to buy liquor or cigarettes, and to drive, among many other things. But we don’t need one to help decide the fate of America? That is absurd.”
