Voting Rights

The 24th Amendment is going to be litigated in the Texas voter id case later this yearhttps://thevoterupdate.com/trail/?p=1209#.UuGbRGfnYY3

The debate about voting in Texas over the past several years has focused on the controversial voter ID law that passed in 2011 and finally took effect over the summer. It was a necessary step to prevent voter fraud, supporters said, while opponents countered that it erected illegal hurdles to voting, particularly for poor and minority populations.

The NAACP Irving-Carrollton Chapter held its annual Freedom Fund luncheon Saturday at the Sheraton DFW Airport in Irving. The keynote speaker was Rep. Marc Veasey. Veasey talked about his efforts in helping change Voter ID legislation and the importance of voting. (Veasey returned to Irving Monday for a meet-and-greet at Glory House in the Heritage District.)

September is Travis County’s Voter Registration Awareness Month – and the county Tax Assessor and Voter Registrar are kicking things off with a new online tool to help volunteers find new voter.

Voting rights matter. They are a major part of who we are as Americans. Throughout our nation's history, the right to vote has been expanded by Constitutional amendments and legislation. For decades, civil rights activists fought tirelessly to ensure equal access to the ballot box for all Americans. Major strides were made with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a historic civil rights law which ensured that the right to vote not be denied on account of race or color.

Area voters heading to the polls this week for a tax ratification election need to bring something extra with them: a photo ID.

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, disagrees and has been among those fighting these requirements.

“It's a sad fact that year after year, minorities in Texas are shown over and over again that we cannot depend on Abbott to protect our voting rights,” he said. “And again, he is also spending the dollars of hardworking taxpayers to implement and wage court battles to uphold this discriminatory law.

Unless a federal judge intervenes, the South Texas city of Edinburg could be the first to enforce a new voter ID law next week. And lawyers will likely use the special election to gather evidence to strengthen lawsuits to block it in the future…