August 3, 2012
DAVID MARTIN DAVIES, TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO
Voting for America complained to the federal court in Galveston that the new laws passed by the Texas Legislature in 2011 were unconstitutional. The laws made registering to vote illegally difficult and restricted voter registration drives from gathering public voter information. The new laws also limit who can hand out voter registration cards and who can collect the completed registration forms
“This is a national issue of voter suppression,” said Sarah Massey, the spokesperson for Voting for America, “and these laws in Texas are an example of that and that is why we fought, and that is why we said, ‘you know what, no. Americans want to help each other to register to vote, that’s a beginning in the process of voting, and don’t stop it.'”
“What the legislature’s done now is to make it more difficult for people to help others get registered.” said former governor Mark White, who testified in the case against the new laws. “They put up barriers to it, and by virtue of increasing penalties – telling people that if you don’t fill these in properly that you have to be subject to prosecution for felony, and that sort of thing – and all it does is scare off ordinary citizens, and they don’t want to get into trouble.”
In a 94-page opinion filed Thursday in Galveston, U.S. District Judge Gregg Costa blocked the state from enforcing most of those restrictions.
Secretary of State spokesman Rich Parsons says the ruling is being reviewed and no decision has been made on appealing. GOP lawmakers say the new rules are necessary to prevent voter registration fraud. LISTEN