Maps: Austin, Now You Can See If Your Neighbors Are Registered to Vote

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.

The county’s push for increased voter registration falls against the backdrop ofchanges in state and national voting law. Since the Supreme Court deemed Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, thereby weakening federal oversight of election law, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott moved forward with implementing a controversial voter ID law. The legislation requires each voter to present a valid government-issued photo ID on Election Day; the measure was struck down by the Department of Justice while Section 4 was still law.

The measure now faces a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice, and another from U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, and Dallas County. The Austin City Council recently voted to explore methods to counter the voter ID rule; options include efforts to partner with the county in meeting the requirements of the law, and also joining existing lawsuits.