CORPUS CHRISTI — Yesterday, a Corpus Christi based federal judge struck down the Texas Voter ID Law as unconstitutional and blocked Texas from enforcing its requirements in the November election. The Texas Voter ID law passed as Senate Bill 14 from the 82nd Regular Legislative Session in 2011 as a way to prevent voter fraud.

Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa issued the following statement:

"This ruling confirms what we have been saying all along. The Voter ID law is unconstitutional and creates voter suppression against our citizens. The right for our Texas citizens to vote must not be burdened with unnecessary hurdles.

Although voter fraud is real and a legitimate concern, it is also very rare. The alleged primary purpose of the Voter ID law is to prevent and deter a single kind of voter fraud -- in-person voter impersonation. Yet, no evidence exists to support this type of voter fraud.

Our Constitution aims toward improving our representative democracy. A better representative democracy depends on the inclusion and participation of citizens during elections. Creating barriers and turning away eligible voters undermines our democracy. The Voter ID law's political intent was to suppress voter participation."

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