Press Releases

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit challenging the strict voter identification law implemented by the state of Texas in the wake of suspension of the Section 5 preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act.  In its complaint, DOJ alleges that the voter ID provision was adopted with discriminatory purpose, and will have the result, of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group.  The complaint asks the Court to prohibit Texas from enforcing the voter ID requirements, and also requests that the Court order bail-in relief under Section 3 of the Voting Rights Act.  If granted, this order would subject Texas to a new preclearance requirement. 

After the filing, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

“I applaud the attorney general for acting decisively to protect the rights of voters in Texas and blocking the state from unilaterally implementing a discriminatory voter ID law that did not pass muster under Section 5 preclearance standards.

“Previously, the District Court for the District of Columbia had found that Texas’s voter id law had blatantly discriminatory effects, violating the Voting Rights Act.  The Court blocked the implementation of this voter ID plan because of these findings, and due to the voter ID requirements being decisively harsher on minorities and the poor than other states.  In addition, a federal court had found that the congressional redistricting maps in Texas were ‘infected with a discriminatory purpose.

“Over the next week, thousands will descend on the National Mall to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the March on Washington, and to come together and celebrate the promises of the Constitution, including protecting the right to vote.  It is in keeping with this spirit that I applaud the Department of Justice's strong enforcement of our nation's voting laws and their dedication to uphold the franchise.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling in Shelby County v. Holder has created a significant gap for the attorney general to fill in enforcing the Voting Rights Act.  Now more than ever, Republicans and Democrats must work together to protect the right to vote and to ensure that the Justice Department has a strong mechanism to block future voting discrimination.”

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