Once again, Texas' voter identification law is under fire.
This week the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled the law violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by making it harder for African-Americans and Latinos to exercise their franchise.
The court ruled 9-6 that minority groups are more likely to lack the required identification, and the state was not doing enough to allow them access to the polls.
The Texas law, which took effect in 2013, requires that voters show certain types of identification before voting. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver's license, military ID, passport or concealed-carry permit.
One remedy, the court suggested, was allowing voter registration cards to be used as identification.
Whatever the case, the court said something must be done before the November elections and sent the case back to district court for a solution.
The 5th Circuit also instructed the lower court to reconsider whether the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature crafted the voter ID law to intentionally discriminate against minorities, who are more likely to vote for Democratic candidates. It's important to note the 5th Circuit did not throw out the voter ID law. And that's good.
But we disagree that current identification requirements infringe on anyone's right to vote.
In our society, identification is required for any number of things, from opening a bank account to boarding an airplane. It is difficult to function without proper ID.
To expect citizens to have identification and show they are legally able to vote is not discriminatory, it is simply common sense. We expect the state to appeal. We would hope the U.S. Supreme Court would rule on the side of common sense. But with the court as it is, we worry that might not happen.