Appeals court upholds Texas voter ID law

A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld a Texas law requiring voters to present a valid photo identification when they cast their ballots. 

The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s decision that blocked the Texas law on the basis that is discriminated against minorities, Reuters reported. 

The law in question was intended to fix previous voter ID laws implemented in Texas that were struck down as discriminatory. 

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Both laws required registered voters to present one of seven forms of government-issued photo ID in order to cast a ballot. But the revised measure carved out alternatives for voters who said they could not “reasonably” obtain one of the forms of ID outlined in the initial bill. 

A panel of the 5th Circuit said that move patched up the flaws in the initial measure. 

Voting rights groups have long argued against such voter ID laws, which they describe as discriminatory and intended to suppress voter turnout among minority groups. 

A number of Republican-controlled states, however, have sought to implement such laws in recent years, saying that its necessary to preserve the integrity of U.S. elections and prevent voter fraud.