Contentious Texas voter ID laws have been challenged in court but new rules relax the burden. Election expert Richard Winger wrote the following post on Ballot Access News:
On May 28, the Texas legislature passed SB 5, which eases the existing Texas law requiring voters at the polls to show government photo-ID. The bill allows people who don’t have such ID to vote anyway. However they must sign a statement explaining that they don’t have such ID, and if they are found to have not told the truth, are subject to serious criminal penalties.
According to Votetexas.gov:
On August 10, 2016, a federal district court entered an order changing the voter identification requirements for all elections held in Texas after August 10, 2016 until further notice. As a result, voters who possess an acceptable form of photo identification for voting listed below are still required to present it in order to vote in person in all Texas elections. The acceptable form of photo identification may be expired up to four years.
Voters who do not possess an acceptable form of photo identification and cannot obtain one of the forms of acceptable photo identification listed below due to a reasonable impediment, may present a supporting form of identification and execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration, noting the voter’s reasonable impediment to obtaining an acceptable form of photo identification, and stating that the voter is the same person on the presented supporting form of identification.
A list of the acceptable forms of photo ID from Texas government before these changes:
- Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
- Texas license to carry a handgun issued by DPS
- United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph
- United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States passport
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