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Texas strict voter ID law in U.S. Court of Appeals for decision

By Andrew V. Pestano

NEW ORLEANS, April 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will consider on Tuesday whether to uphold a decision striking down Texas's strict voter identification law, the strictest in the nation.

A panel of three judges in New Orleans, La., will listen to the appeals.

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Texas's voter-ID laws were labeled as an "unconstitutional poll tax" by a lower court in October 2014 in the Southern District of Texas, where more than 600,000 registered voters, did not have the required voter ID.

Hispanics and blacks were up to three times more likely than whites to not have it.

The ruling, blocking the voter ID laws, lasted for five days after the Fifth Circuit reinstated the law before the 2014 elections.

"This law does not abstractly hurt people," Myrna Perez, a top Brennan Center lawyer fighting against the law told MSNBC. "This law concretely is making it harder for eligible Texans to be able to vote."

The voter ID laws were signed into law by former Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, in 2011. The law was blocked as racially discriminatory under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in 2012. It then went back in effect in 2013 in Texas hours after the U.S. Supreme Court declared Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional.

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The Brennan Center has compiled stories of people being rejected in Texas for voting because of the voter ID laws:

"Sheileh Hejny is 68 and lives in Gun Barrel. She was born in Texas and has voted continuously since she turned 21. Until last November.

Hejny does not drive anymore, and her driver's license has expired. She does have photo identification, however -- a military survivor's ID. When she tried to use that to vote during early voting, however, poll workers refused to accept it because they said it was expired. Because of this, she had to vote a provisional ballot.

She could not get that provisional ballot counted within the six days permitted under the law. She said she was instructed to get another photo ID and take it to the courthouse to get her ballot counted. Since she does not drive, going down to the courthouse would have been a major chore.

Hejny said making her voice heard is very important to her, especially because her husband spent time in military service, and the two of them always voted."

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