Obama administration goes to court seeking to strike down Texas voter ID law

African American voters. PHOTO/File

The U.S. Justice Department has gone to federal court in South Texas to seek the dismantling of the state’s voter ID law, which ranks among the most stringent in the nation.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos on Tuesday heard opening statements in Corpus Christi in a lawsuit led by minority rights groups and the office of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Similar voter ID laws passed in other conservative states also have been challenged in federal court.

Republican Governor Rick Perry signed legislation in 2011 that requires more than 13 million registered voters in Texas to show a photo ID before casting a ballot. Opponents say the law is designed to suppress minority turnout and young people who typically vote Democratic.

A ruling isn’t expected before the November elections.

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