Voter ID Law Is a Poll Tax, Holder Says
Attorney General Eric Holder says the voter ID law is a poll tax by another name. Photo by KUT NewsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
As a trial over the fate of Texas’ voter ID law continues in Washington, one of its main opponents was in Houston saying it would harm minority voters.
Speaking at the NAACP’s national convention, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said that black and Hispanic voters would be disproportionately affected by the law, which would require most people to show a photo ID before casting a ballot.
Holder said that while only 8 percent of voting-age whites lack government-issued photo ID, 25 percent of African-Americans don’t have one.
“Many of those without IDs would have to travel great distances to get them,” Holder said. “And some would struggle to pay for the documents they might need to obtain them. We call those poll taxes.”
Supporters of the voter ID law say it’s necessary to stop fraudulent voting. Arguments over whether to implement the law are expected to continue in court through the week. If approved, it could be in place for the November elections.
Podcast: Download (587.7KB)
