The Campaign Legal Center (CLC) today called on the U.S. Supreme Court to take immediate action in the Texas voter ID case so that voters will not be harmed by the law in the 2016 presidential election.
The application filed with the U.S. Supreme Court follows the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refusal to offer relief in time for the upcoming election. Last week, the appellate court effectively denied the Campaign Legal Center’s emergency motion to vacate its stay of a lower court’s ruling that struck down the law. Under the 5th Circuit’s order, the voter ID law will remain in effect as the case proceeds once again in the 5th Circuit, where it has languished since October 2014.
“Seven federal judges have ruled that Texas’ voter ID law discriminates against minority voters, but the law is still in effect,” said Gerry Hebert, executive director of the Campaign Legal Center. “The 5th Circuit has set up a schedule that likely forecloses our ability to obtain relief in time for the presidential election. We are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure that that no one is prevented from casting a ballot because this discriminatory law is in place.”
The D.C. District Court, a Texas district court, and a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit have all found that the law discriminates against minority voters. The 5th Circuit’s stay of the district court’s decision in 2014 is the only reason the law is in effect.
The application is filed with Justice Thomas and likely will be referred to the entire Court. If the Court (as seems quite possible) splits 4-4 on this application, the likely result would be a denial of this emergency motion without comment.