Photo: Adobe Stock
The great state of Texas secured a win this week on election integrity, following a decision from a federal appeals court that upheld a key part of a bill mandating voter ID for mail-in ballots.
The law, SB 1, was passed in 2021 by the Texas Legislature and has since been met with critical opposition. The law has been challenged in court by over 20 state and national organizations, according to the Texas Tribune. These groups have claimed that the legislation violated several federal laws, including the Voting Rights Act.
However, the federal court’s decision on the matter this week seems to indicate a hollow argument among its detractors.
“We have no difficulty concluding that this ID number requirement fully complies with a provision of federal law known by the parties as the materiality provision of the 1964 Civil Rights Act,” the court opinion read.
Further, “Our precedents compel us to side with Texas. We have made clear that States have a legitimate interest in combating voter fraud, and thus enjoy ‘considerable discretion in deciding what is an adequate level of effectiveness to serve [their] important interests in voter integrity.’”
According to Politico, the law requires mail-in ballots to include a voter ID number or a partial Social Security number to be counted. Critics argue that the requirement decreases voting access for a variety of demographics, including the elderly and disabled, because of the extra step of providing identification.
The Texas Tribune reported in 2022 that the law contributed to a 12 percent rejection rate of mail-in ballots. Presumably, this is because these potential voters did not provide a form of identification on their ballots.
“We have no difficulty concluding that the 2021 Act easily satisfies this two-step test. The number-matching requirements are obviously designed to confirm that every mail-in voter is indeed who he claims he is,” the federal opinion noted. “And that is plainly material to determining whether an individual is qualified to vote.”
The federal decision on this Texas law will likely be considered a broad win for proponents of election integrity. “THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!! Should be Nationwide!!!” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday evening.
