Texas Election Laws: An Analysis of Inconsistencies and Regulations

This essay critically examines the inconsistencies within Texas election laws and regulations, focusing primarily on the Texas voter identification law enforced in 2011. The author argues that the law, while intended to prevent voter fraud, disproportionately affects minority groups like African-Americans and Hispanics due to its strict photo ID requirements, which include a concealed gun license but exclude student IDs. The personal experience of being barred from voting due to lacking the required ID is shared, highlighting the law's discriminatory impact and potential violation of the U.S. Voting Rights Act. Additionally, the essay points out the restrictions on online voter registration and the 28-day registration deadline as further impediments to voter participation, particularly for traveling citizens. The acceptance of a concealed handgun license as a valid ID is viewed as politically motivated, raising concerns about the law's fairness and equity.

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Inconsistencies in Texas Election Laws and Regulations
One of the laws and regulations that I believe affect the election processes in the state of
Texas is the Texas voter identification law that was enforced in 2011. This law states that any
individual that wishes to vote in the state of Texas requires an approved form of government-
issued photo ID. A concealed gun license is allowed but a student ID is not. Other forms of photo
ID under the law include; a state driver’s license or ID card, free Texas election identification
certificate (EIC), a U.S. passport, a military ID card or a U.S citizenship certificate with a photo
(Hajnal et al, 635). I view this law as having a discriminatory effect in the Texas state. The act
was enforced to reduce the level of fraud associated with the election process in Texas. Despite
the fact that its main purpose is to prevent fraud, this law’s structure has resulted in suppressing
the voter turnout in different races like African-Americans, Hispanics, and other segregated
communities (Alvarez et al, 19). From a personal view, the requirement of regulated government
ID photos, this law has resulted in the frustration of a large number of voters in the state. This
includes voters who plan to use their student IDs only to find out that they are not accepted.
Other voters are barred from actually voting since their driver licenses have expired.
Moreover, for individuals within the low income gap, the expense involved in obtaining
the appropriate documentation proves to be too high. This is because obtaining these documents
such as a Texas driving license will require activities such as obtaining a copy of birth

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certificates which will prove to be expensive resulting in them dismissing the idea altogether.
The Texas voter identification law is therefore inconsistent as it proves to be discriminative
against black or Hispanic voters in the state as most of them are in the poor income margin.
During the election process this year, I was barred from actually voting due to the requirements
of this law. As I possessed a student ID but lacked the approved form of government photo ID, I
could not take part in the election process. This was made worse by the fact that my student
allowances could not allow me to obtain these approved forms of photo identification forms.
The U.S voting rights act states was structured for the enforcement of the voting rights
that are stated by the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the constitution of the country. It
protects the voting rights of racial minority groups in the United States. Hence, I believe that the
Texas voter identification law is in violation of the U.S voting rights act. The requirements
within the law can be viewed as being inspired by political ideology (Ansolabehere et al, 1737).
This can be viewed through the acceptance of a concealed handgun license as photo ID to vote.
For its voting registration process, the regulations in the state of Texas does not permit online
voter registration. Registration must also be completed 28 days before the election date. This
restricts any travelling American citizen from the state of Texas from actually registering for the
election process (Hicks et al, 24 ).
References

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Alvarez, R. Michael, Delia Bailey, and Jonathan Katz. "The effect of voter identification laws on
turnout." (2008).
Ansolabehere, Stephen, and Nathaniel Persily. "Vote fraud in the eye of the beholder: The role of
public opinion in the challenge to voter identification requirements." Harv. L. Rev. 121
(2007): 1737.
Hajnal, Zoltan, Nazita Lajevardi, and Lindsay Nielson. "Voter identification laws and the
suppression of minority votes." The Journal of Politics 79.2 (2017): 363-379
Hicks, William D., et al. "A principle or a strategy? Voter identification laws and partisan
competition in the American States." Political Research Quarterly 68.1 (2015): 18-33.