Brennan Center report from the trial [with language updated from the Brennan Center];

• Under cross-examination by Dan Freeman, [Victor Farinelli, the electronic registration manager of the Department of State Health Services’ Vital Statistics Unit] testified that there is no law or regulation that requires DSHS to offer an EIC birth certificate. Farinelli testified that DSHS has not issued any EIC birth certificates in Austin to date.* He stated that a certified copy of birth record costs $22 to order in person or online, plus a credit card fee and a potential $5 dollars to expedite. He testified that there are many documents that establish identity for purposes of obtaining a birth certificate that do not establish identity for purpose of voting. Farinelli was shown the version of the election identification birth certificate application form in use as of September 2, 2014, and agreed that it stated that applications without photo ID would not be processed.* Farinelli stated that the birth certificate application form has not been translated into Spanish. He stated that identity theft using forged birth certificates “happens sometimes” and has happened more than four times over the past 10 years. Farinelli testified that he is not aware of any press releases, media campaigns, or direct mailers advertising the EIC birth certificate, and that the DSHS web page devoted to EIC birth certificates was created last week. He stated that Texans born in another state are not eligible for a reduced-price birth certificate unless that state has such a program.
• *This post has been updated to reflect that Farinelli testified that DSHS has not issued any EIC birth certificates in Austin to date and that the version of the election identification birth certificate application form in use as of September 2, 2014 stated that applications without photo ID would not be processed.