YOUR VOTE MUST COUNT!

By Divine Design News Service

During the upcoming November presidential election Texas voters may be told by election officials that they must present a photo ID in order to cast their ballots. That is not true!! The Texas Voter ID law, which was passed five years ago by the Texas Legislature, has been declared unconstitutional by two federal courts because it discriminates against racial minorities, according to jurists and constitutional law experts.

Instructed by the courts to conduct a fair election in the fall, state officials in Texas have presented information on websites and in print those voting rights advocates have called confusing. The materials fail to make clear to Texas voters that they can vote even if they cannot produce photo identification at the polls.

Officials from the NAACP on the national, state and local levels have instructed voters to be aware of attempts to prevent them from voting. They have mailed hundreds of thousands of pieces of literature to Texas residents entitled “Texas, Prepared to Vote 2016” which outline proper voting procedures, and voting rights.

“We want to empower black and Latino voters in Texas during the 2016 election season,” said Leah Aden, the senior counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in New York City.

It is important that the community is informed, she said. The public must be educated prior to the election to guarantee fairness and to ensure that every vote counts and is counted, she added.

The materials distributed by the NAACP explain to voters how they can vote without presenting a photo idea. If asked for a photo ID, a voter simply needs to inform the election official that they have difficulty presenting one because it was lost or stolen, the voter has a disability or an illness, or that a photo ID had been applied for, but had not been received.

After a voter explains to an election official  the reason that  he or she does  not have a photo ID, that official “cannot question the voter regarding the truthful of the voter’s explanation,” according to materials distributed by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

In previous elections in Texas, there have been attempts to prevent people from voting if the name that appeared on their identification did not exactly match the name on the voting rolls.

“If the name on your identification does not exactly match the one that election officials have, you may vote if the two are substantially similar,” according to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. “You have the right to vote, but will be required to sign a form swearing that you are the same person that is listed on the voting rolls.”

Acknowledging that voting is a fundamental right, the materials instruct people to cast a “provisional ballot” if there are any unresolved questions about eligibility at the polls.  The provisional ballot will be counted if you go to the county voter registration office within six calendar days with proper identification.

The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy, NAACP officials stated. If you encounter problems on or before Election Day, please call Election Protection at 1-866-OUR Vote, they added.

Proponents of Voter ID requirements in Texas have historically argued that such laws prevent voter fraud. Those that challenged the Voter ID requirement, including Congressman Mark Veasey, argued that voter fraud in Texas was “virtually nonexistent.” It is rulings, the court agreed with the assertion made by Congressman Veasey and his colleagues.