“The information provided thus far is incomplete and does not enable us to determine that the proposed changes have neither the purpose nor will have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group, as required under Section 5,” reads the letter, from the Voting Section chief T. Christian Herren.
“Although you did not indicate a date when this information would be available, you noted that the state will provide the results of its analysis as expeditiously as possible,’ Herren added.
The bill in question prohibits Texans from voting unless they show a government-issued ID. The goal is to crack down on voter fraud.
The Texas Democratic Party staunchly opposes the bill, as do civil rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Advancement Project. The groups argued in a September letter to the DOJ that voter fraud is not a major issue and the law will only discriminate against minorities.
The back-and-forth has been ongoing since July, when Texas asked the DOJ for preclearance for the law. Herren’s letter, however, points out that in September, the DOJ said it needed more information about the racial breakdown of registered voters who do not have a state-issued ID. The state of Texas maintains it does not collect racial information on voter applications.
“The racial breakdown of voters data doesn’t exist in Texas,” said Rich Parsons, communications director for the office of Secretary of State.
According to Parsons, however, the state is in the process of complying with the DOJ’s latest request.
“We will provide them the data,” said Parsons, adding, “but it will be unreliable data.” He went on to say that it is too early to speculate on whether or not the January 1 implementation date will definitely be postponed.
Texas Governor Rick Perry has previously stated support for the bill.
