Appeals Court Stays Injunction Against Texas Voter ID Law

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court panel has stayed a permanent injunction to throw out the Texas law requiring voters to present an accepted photo identification card.

By a 2-1 vote Tuesday, the three-judge panel in New Orleans left in the injunction's place a previous order by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. That order allows those without an accepted ID to vote by signing a sworn declaration stating they have a reasonable impediment to obtaining one.

Gonzales Ramos had issued the permanent injunction against a subsequent voter ID law on Aug. 23, calling it a "poll tax" on minority voters.

The U.S. Justice Department participated in the fight to dispose of the law until President Donald Trump took office this year, when it reversed position and supported the Texas voter ID law.