It’s already been pretty widely discussed that the new voter restriction laws put in place in Texas and North Carolina work to disenfranchise minority or low-income voters. But now it is looking like the new laws in Texas may be preventing up to a third of women from voting. Apparently, this is because in the new Texas law, if your current legal name does not match the name on your birth certificate, you are required to provide proof of name change in the form of a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court ordered name change.
As a result of these new laws, some women are being flagged for voter fraud. For example, a judge from Texas was almost barred for voting because her driver’s license lists her maiden name as her middle name, whereas her voter registration lists her legal middle name.
In light of some of these snafus in the voting system, perhaps we should be asking ourselves, is it really in the best interest of democracy to assume first that the people coming to the polls to vote are trying to scam the system? Is that really the best way to promote justice? The USCCB has stated strongly that all citizens have a right to vote, so where is the Catholic voice in matters where people are actively being prevented from voting?
We can continue to keep an eye on the ongoing voting rights situation, and how the Supreme Court decision this year is changing the landscape.
Image: Joe Shlabotnik via Flickr.
