Texans, fight ID delays! Our right to vote can't wait.

Texas' Voter Suppression By ID

Karan Shirk is frustrated, and rightly so. For three months, she's tried to secure an appointment for her 18-year-old grandson, Nathan, to get his first Texas ID through the Department of Public Safety (DPS) website. But the automated reply remains the same:

"No Availability. There is no availability for service type: Apply for first time Texas ID."

This is a major issue, as Texas requires voters to present government-issued photo ID, effectively barring Nathan from participating in the upcoming presidential election.

"I’m frustrated and a little bit angry," Shirk said.

The situation is absurd. The system isn't offering appointments months away, it's offering nothing at all. When searching for first-time ID appointments in Austin, the only options are in far-flung towns like Lampasas, Killeen, or Caldwell. While the DPS suggests looking for appointments in other cities, not all families can make such journeys.

"It's very frustrating. It shouldn't be this hard," Shirk, a retired nurse and political volunteer, added.

Texas leaders boast about jobs and economic opportunity, but fail to ensure their residents can obtain the basic ID needed to access those opportunities. An ID is needed for a job, driving, banking, and housing. It is a fundamental requirement for participation in society.

Valerie DeBill, VP of voter service for the League of Women Voters of Austin, emphasizes that not having a Texas or US ID should not prevent citizens from voting. There is an alternative: a "Reasonable Impediment" Declaration form. Any registered voter without an ID can use this form at the polling place, along with alternative documentation like a voter registration certificate, utility bill, or pay stub.

“The form says there's a bunch of different options about why you couldn't get the appropriate ID, but one of them is basically, ‘I tried and couldn't get one in time,’” DeBill said.

State Rep. Erin Zwiener is trying to spread awareness about this option, especially for students at Texas State University who face similar DPS appointment issues. She highlights the systemic problem in Central Texas, where the lack of DPS appointments is a significant barrier.

Zwiener stresses that the inability to secure a driver's license or state ID appointment is an absolute reasonable impediment to having that identification.

However, the larger issue of the DPS staffing shortage remains. Even with the reasonable impediment form, Nathan still needs a state ID for other purposes, like workforce training programs. The backlog is severe, as seen by the predawn lines at the South Austin DPS office in January 2023.

DPS press secretary Sheridan Nolen attributed the issues to staffing challenges, claiming they are facing difficulty finding qualified applicants. Zwiener suggests exploring higher pay for DPS workers in Central Texas, acknowledging the region's higher cost of living.

The bottom line: Texas' ID requirements for voting suppress the rights of its citizens, particularly the young and marginalized. The "reasonable impediment" form is a band-aid solution. Texas must address the larger issue of DPS staffing and ID accessibility if it wants to uphold democratic values.

Resources for Voters:

• Texas' voter ID law: Texas law requires a photo ID, but there's an alternative with a "Reasonable Impediment" form.
• What to bring: Your voter registration certificate, birth certificate, utility bill, bank statement, government/paycheck, or "Reasonable Impediment" form.
• Voting normally: You will vote with a standard ballot, not a provisional one.
• Replacing documents: Contact your local voter registrar. In Travis County (512-854-9473), Williamson County (512-943-1630), Hays County (512-393-7310), or Bastrop County (512-581-7160).
• Issues voting: Call/text 866-OUR-VOTE for help from non-partisan voting advocates.