Supreme Court Allows Strict Texas Voter ID Law
By: Lauren Tortorella, Associate Editor Vol. 20
On October 18, the Supreme Court issued an order allowing Texas to use its strict voter ID law for the November election. The 2011 law requires voters to present a photo ID before voting at the polls. Some estimate this law will prevent 600,000 Texas voters from voting in person.
Justice Ginsburg, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, dissented from the Court’s order. In her dissent, Ginsburg wrote that this law will disproportionately impact black and Hispanic voters. Ginsburg added that this law constitutes an unconstitutional poll tax. Many voters must present a birth certificate, which costs $2 to $3 dollars. Ginsburg argued this requirement goes against the Court’s precedent, striking down Virginia’s poll tax in 1966.