Texas League of Young Voters move forward to protect Youth Vote
WASHINGTON- Testimony in Texas v. Holder, the history-making court case to determine the fate of Texas Voter ID and 1.4 million registered voters in the Lone Star state, ended, with a verdict expected in the coming weeks. Until then, the Texas League of Young Voters Education Fund, defendant-interveners in the federal case, are getting back to mobilizing young leaders in the three short months left until the presidential election.
“An American citizen’s right to vote should never be on trial,” Christina Sanders,Texas League State Director, said. “I am proud to have been in D.C. to represent the young voters of Texas who will be personally and profoundly disenfranchised if Voter ID is enacted, and I look forward to being back on the ground organizing. It has been a long time coming, but we fought Texas Voter ID all the way to Washington.” Texas’ Voter ID law, which Attorney General Eric Holder recently labeled a “poll tax”, is one of the most restrictive ID bills in the country. The verdict of this case could have nationwide implications, as it could call into question the constitutionality of one of the most historic pieces of voter protection laws.
“Texas has tried to restrict voting access at least 54 times in the last 25 years, only to be stopped by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which require the DOJ to review legislation that could disenfranchise minority voters,” Sanders said. “The energy of the organizing teams that we’ve built over the last year has not only kept Voter ID at bay, but has allowed us to have real dialogue with thousands of potential voters across the state. Voter ID could be the touchstone to ignite a new wave of youth participation in 2012.” Prior to the case, the Texas League mobilized thousands of young people to share their stories about how Voter ID would impact them. With Texas v. Holder behind them, Christina and Blake will return to directing the online network and local leadership that took on Voter ID and will continue to impact Voter Registration and Participation in communities of color across Texas.
