As the State of Texas prepares for a court battle with federal authorities over the restrictions on the state’s voter identification law, a group of students has come together to educate the public about their own concerns on the matter. Including provisions that do not permit student ID’s (even those issued by state colleges and universities) to substitute for identification. Although a state issued concealed handgun license is acceptable.
And with so many in the state (and Harris County in particular) estimated to have no form of acceptable ID under the new law under review, the next question inevitably will fall next to what efforts will the state make to accommodate voting eligible students and others (seniors, minorities, recently moved residents, etc.) who do not have a drivers license or other form of valid ID?
This question is particularly relevant when recent news reports cite state officials for making obtaining a drivers license burdensome itself, or document longer lines at DMV locations due to a slow response in expanding operations at a pace with the state’s own population growth. A recent report just covering angry motorists dealing with long wait times for licenses, does not portend well for a system that would be additionally tasked to provide essential voting identification credentials for over 2-million Texans just months before an election.
(Video: KHOU 11 News)