Give voters accurate information on voter ID

Can Texas “reasonably” make nondiscriminatory voter ID laws? One would think, but Texas seems adamant about not letting go of its errant ways.

A new lawsuit claims that the language in new voter information materials is inaccurate and misleads voters.

When a federal appeals court declared the Texas voter ID law discriminatory, lawyers crafted a joint submission of agreed terms to soften the law.

The agreement says voters without an approved photo ID can sign a “reasonable impediment declaration” and bring another form of ID, like a utility bill or paycheck.

The agreement says, “Commencing with any elections held after the entry of this Order and until further order of the Court, Defendants shall continue to educate voters in subsequent elections concerning both voter identification requirements and the opportunity for voters who do not possess SB 14 ID and cannot reasonably obtain it to cast a regular ballot.”

New voter information omitted the word reasonably, making the language sound stricter.

“At this critical stage, such materials should maximize accuracy and minimize confusion. Texas’s materials do neither,” the lawsuit says.

Texas should be reasonable and follow the agreement as closely as possible.

This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Give voters accurate information on voter ID."