Supreme Court Allows Texas Use Of Controversial Voter ID Law
It’s rulings like this that reminds us of why it’s important to vote. The U.S. Supreme Court said Saturday that Texas can use its controversial voter identification law can go into effect for now — a decision that comes two days before early voting in the state.
[su_center_ad]MSN reports:
A majority of the justices rejected an emergency request from the Justice Department and civil rights groups to prohibit the state from requiring voters to produce certain forms of photo identification in order to cast ballots. Three justices dissented.
The law was struck down by a federal judge last week, but a federal appeals court had put that ruling on hold. The judge found that roughly 600,000 voters, many of them black or Latino, could be turned away at the polls because they lack acceptable identification. Early voting in Texas begins Monday.
The Supreme Court’s order was unsigned, as it typically is in these situations. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissented, saying they would have left the district court decision in place.
The law sets out seven forms of approved ID — a list that includes concealed handgun licenses but not college student IDs, which are accepted in other states with similar measures.
Republicans insist on placing obstacles in the way of voters trying to cast their ballot and hopefully these tactics will inspire more people to get out the vote. Voters in Texas have a dismal voter turnout and apparently Republicans want to keep it that way.[su_csky_ad]
NW10 October 18th, 2014 at 7:53 am
https://twitter.com/LOLGOP/status/523430284038262784
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 8:40 am
A supremely bad decision from a partisan court. Shame on you America.
searambler October 18th, 2014 at 9:31 am
Hey, if you can’t win on the issues, or run on your record, then you have to do SOMETHING to take an election, right? Republicans are merciless. Hell, they know that this will even disenfranchise a few redneck right wingers. But the numbers don’t lie. More Democrats will stay home because of this than Republicans, and they know it. To paraphrase a line from Starahip Troopers, ‘They’re in it for their species.’ Anything, anything at all to maintain power, is in play for the Greedy Old Party…..
NW10 October 18th, 2014 at 9:37 am
More Democrats will stay home because of this than Republicans
And that needs to change. We need to drown out the GOP with votes.
Anomaly 100 October 18th, 2014 at 9:50 am
This ^.
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 10:31 am
The SCOTUS in essence is saying we know the law is unconstitutional but it is OK anyways for now. WTF. That is not their job. Their job is to determine the constitutionality of the law, not allow enforcement of unconstitutional laws. This should be illegal and the judges siding with this decision should be impeached, since they can’t be fired for blatant disregard of their jobs.
For some good info on this … http://www.brennancenter.org/press-release/supreme-court-allows-discriminatory-id-law-stand
Hirightnow October 18th, 2014 at 12:24 pm
Anyone and EVERYONE eligible to vote needs to show up to vote in Texas, and let the voting staff TELL them that they lack the specific ID. Think about it: hundreds of people clogging up the polling places as a form of protest, possibly disenfranchising “real” (white) voters who may get tired of waiting in line to
screw themselvesvote Republican.Make them work for this, people.
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 12:36 pm
And then when they can’t vote, sue the state of Texas for violating their constitutional rights.
FanOfTravel October 18th, 2014 at 3:27 pm
Sec of state Gregg Abbott has stated that since taking office in 2001 his office can only cite two fraudulent votes that might have been stopped by the ID law……but hey let’s prevent 100’s of thousands of legal voters from the polls because of these two cases
Mike Grimm October 19th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
How awful to demand voters be legal citizens of OUR country. Way to go Supreme Court! Finally looking after America.
OldLefty October 19th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
How awful to demand voters be legal citizens of OUR country.
_______
If that was what was going on, that would be different.
This serves no purpose other than stop legal citizens of OUR country from voting.
Like ;
Ms. Block who hasn’t missed an election in 70 years, went to her local PennDOT office so she could obtain her free ID.
Despite having all the documentation listed on the Department of State
checklist, her application was rejected because the PennDot worker couldn’t
read her Hebrew marriage license and the deed to her home and Pepco bill had
her married name, not her maiden name.
And The Wisconsin legislature is finalizing a bill to close ten Department of
Motor Vehicle centers located in Democratic districts within the state. The
money saved will be used to extend operating hours at DMV centers in Republican
districts. These cuts come on the heels of new voter ID laws that require
voters to present a state-issued photo identification card at the poll booths.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9OKSP800.htm
Way to move closer to a banana republic court, SCOTUS!
Mike Grimm October 19th, 2014 at 2:35 pm
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have what to do with voting in Texas?
Carla Akins October 19th, 2014 at 2:40 pm
Same law – all based on Chris Kobach original brief. The others were not upheld but Texas was – do you actually know anything about this law?
OldLefty October 19th, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have what to do with voting in Texas?
_______
They demonstrate the ulterior motive behind such laws.
They ALL come from ALEC.
Carla Akins October 19th, 2014 at 2:32 pm
Has there ever been a single instance of a non-citizen voting? Ever?
Mike Grimm October 19th, 2014 at 2:34 pm
If you don’t have to show ID to vote, how can you say there hasn’t?
Carla Akins October 19th, 2014 at 2:38 pm
There have been extensive investigations into voter fraud. 12 cases nation-wide. Lots of cases of election fraud, but only 12 of voter fraud most were ex-convicts that didn’t realize they’d lost their rights and one woman that voted for both herself and her daughter. WIth or without ID, you still have to be registered and checked off the list for that polling station.
R L Buds October 21st, 2014 at 3:31 pm
Only contributing members of society have IDs, the libs kow this that’s how much they think of blacks.
OldLefty October 21st, 2014 at 3:56 pm
Like Wiola Lee, 59, was born
in rural Georgia and moved to Philadelphia in her early youth to live with her
grandmother. Ms. Lee worked for the Philadelphia Public Schools, including
special needs children. She has voted for well over 30 years and has been
civically active, volunteering as a poll worker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
With the new voter ID laws, Ms. Lee is trying to access her birth certificate
which she will need in order to obtain a photo ID, but the state of Georgia has
no record of her birth. Without a photo ID, Ms. Lee will not be able to vote.
Bea Bookler has voted in
every election since 1940 but now 72 years later she may not be able to cast
what she believes might be her last vote. At 93 years old, Ms. Bookler lives at
an assisted living facility in Chester County, no longer posseses photo ID and
does not have her birth certificate to obtain ID.
Portage County veteran, 86, doesn’t vote after VA identification card rejected at polls.
After learning about
Pennsylvania’s new photo ID requirement, Ms. Block who hasn’t missed an
election in 70 years, went to her local PennDOT office so she could obtain her
free ID. Despite having all the documentation listed on the Department of State checklist, her application was rejected because the PennDot worker couldn’t read her Hebrew marriage license and the deed to her home and Pepco bill had her married name, not her maiden name. Ms. Block takes her right to vote so seriously that in 2010 she had her granddaughter take her from the hospital in a wheelchair because she couldn’t obtain an absentee ballot..
Like THOSE noncontributing members of society??
R L Buds October 21st, 2014 at 4:10 pm
No, just the average POS that just wants more freebies. Some people do have issues due to errors in the system, is that why the average black doesn’t (apparently) have an ID? Or is it because the racis’ white man made them lose they paperwork. We can’t micro-manage every aspect of their lives they might have to stand on their own feet someday.
OldLefty October 21st, 2014 at 4:23 pm
Like the welfare queens of the top 1%.
The “average black” doesn’t have an id?.
Not true, but often city dwellers don’t have cars, they don’t take student ids and people like Scott Walker pull stunts like;
The Wisconsin legislature is finalizing a bill to close ten Department of
Motor Vehicle centers located in Democratic districts within the state. The
money saved will be used to extend operating hours at DMV centers in Republican
districts. These cuts come on the heels of new voter ID laws that require
voters to present a state-issued photo identification card at the poll booths.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9OKSP800.htm
If you REALLY want ids, do it over 10 or 20 years with mobile equipment to make sure that everyone who wants it has it, and make it national and take as long as it takes instead of trying to cram it through before an election.
OldLefty October 21st, 2014 at 4:27 pm
We can’t micro-manage every aspect of their lives they might have to stand on their own feet someday.
_______
Like the one percent who need the government to shield them from competition and the cost of doing business ??
Don’t be silly.
The reason to make voting so hard is to assure that there is an under class who is so desperate that they will compete for the lowest wage and never pull themselves up.
Chinese Democracy October 21st, 2014 at 4:07 pm
“Only contributing members of society have IDs..” meaning whites huh