(ALEXANDRIA, VA.) – February 21, 2017: The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) today backed a bill to improve Texas’ photo voter identification law.

Senate Bill 5, authored by Senator Joan Huffman (R-Harris County), would make permanent the voter ID “safety net” allowing voters without proper ID to attest to the reason for their noncompliance and cast a regular ballot thereafter.

“Senate Bill 5 is a necessary step to improve and protect Texas’ voter ID law,” PILF President and General Counsel J. Christian Adams said. “Making permanent the ‘safety net’ like the bill calls for will help those in genuine need and place strict penalties for those that wish to abuse it.”

Days before the bill was filed, various county election officers told the Associated Press that “hundreds” of voters misused the voter ID affidavit, admitted their refusal to follow existing law. Senate Bill 5 notes that a “false statement” on the form would be a third degree felony.

A copy of SB 5 can be accessed here.

Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) is a 501(c)(3) public interest law firm dedicated to election integrity. The Foundation exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity and fight against lawlessness in American elections. Drawing on numerous experts in the field, PILF seeks to protect the right to vote and preserve the Constitutional framework of American elections.

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