Voter Identification Report

The 2013 law requiring Texans to show a valid identification card before voting in any election has caused quite a controversy since its implementation even though the national Constitution clearly specifies any state is allowed to require what it deems necessary to ensure lawful elections. The main incentive for implementing the requirement was “… a fear of voter fraud (especially, a suspicion that non-citizens who are illegally in this country are voting) (Denniston, 2014). While this law while hopefully reduce the amount of scams, some citizens still challenge the law, claiming it will affect low income, and usually Democratic, votes. Although it has proven to cause disagreement and could cause Texas to have an even lower voter turnout,
the law is legal and abides by the federal standards. The Constitution does not place too many restrictions on the states in regards to voting processes and eligibility requirements. Leaving much of the decision of who can vote and how difficult it will be to do so to the states has led to Texas passing the Senate Bill 14 in 2011 which requires all voters to show valid and acceptable identification before being allowed to cast their vote (Required Identification for Voting in Person, 2013). Since the Constitution gives the states the power to create their own voter qualifications, this new law is deemed constitutional. Checks and balances comes into effect, though, by allowing Congress to veto the states’ conditions (Required Identification for Voting in Person, 2013). After the voter ID law was passed, many argued it went against the section of the Voting Rights Act that required the Attorney General or a Washington DC federal court to approve of any changes made to voter eligibility laws in historically discriminatory states (Shelby County v.
Holder, 2013). Shelby County, Alabama protested this section claiming that Congress had no constitutional right to do so. Because of the 5-4 turnout in the Supreme Court, that section of the Voting Rights Act was declared unconstitutional which was the final phase in the voter ID laws becoming effective. Without the national government being allowed to prevent Texas from applying this requirement on those grounds, the law was once again proven to be in accordance with federal
standards. In both Democrats and Republicans opinions, this new law will affect voter turn out dramatically. While Republicans are in favor of the new requirements because of claims that “Democrats routinely drop off busloads of illegal voters at polling places throughout the country” (The Week Staff, 2014), Liberals refute that statement yet are still opposed. Their concern is the cost, not only money, but of time as well, is too much for lower income voters to obtain an identification card. The logic behind their argument is that if one is too poor to travel or own a vehicle, why will they have a passport or driver’s license? While free government IDs are available, it can cost as much as $75 to obtain the documents required to receive one (The Week Staff, 2014). Whether Republicans or Democrats are correct can soon be determined after the 2016 presidential election. In my opinion though, the new law will have little to no effect on Texas’ shockingly low voter turnout.
If those who argue that lower income voters will no longer be able to vote are correct, their claim is null due to the fact that impoverished counties rarely do. Forrest Wilder (2010) proves this in the article “Why Don’t Texans Vote?” when he provides “Six of the seven precincts in Presidio County – one of the poorest counties in the nation – had fewer than half of the registered voters come to the polls in 2008” along with “Even in Travis County, which frequently posts the highest urban turnout in the state, there is a stark contrast. The more affluent sectors of Austin largely vote, and the historically black and brown East Side largely don’t.” Due to a plethora of statistics that match the ones Wilder mentions, I do not think this law will have any affect on the voter turnout. Those who are unable to afford government issued identification of some type were more than likely not participating voters any, so the requirement should not hinder
them.
While it has caused quite the controversy, I believe this law will be effective in monitoring who votes, therefore it is acceptable and understandable. Not only is it constitutional and federally law abiding, but it will also lower the amount of illicit votes. Whether numerous illegal immigrants voted in past elections is not traceable but this requirement will ensure that only American citizens who are eligible to vote will be able to do so. Since tracking down which votes were cast illegally in the past is impossible, the voter ID law rightfully prevents just that from ever occurring either again or for the first time whether Texans choose to agree with the methods or not.