CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) – A federal judge has approved for November a softer version of Texas’ voter ID law that courts have said discriminated against minorities and the poor.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos on Wednesday accepted a compromise struck last week between Texas, the U.S. Justice Department and minority rights groups that sued over the 2011 law.
Texas was forced to quickly make changes for the November election after a federal appeals court in July ruled that the photo ID rules violated the federal Voting Rights Act. Opponents say more than 600,000 registered voters lacked one of seven suitable IDs under the law.
Those voters can now cast a counted ballot by signing an affidavit and presenting a paycheck, bank statement, utility bill or government document that includes their name.