After years of legal bickering, the Texas Voter ID law has finally been ruled constitutional by a federal judge, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
U.S. District Judge Nelda Gonzales Ramos in Corpus Christi threw out the law in 2016, prompting the Texas Legislature to come up with a new law, and, after a federal appeals court upheld the new law, the judge ordered that it take effect.
"With this major legal victory, voter ID requirements remain in place going forward," said Marc Rylander, a spokesman for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
"Safeguarding the integrity of our elections is a primary responsibility of state government."
The law will require that people display an 'approved' photo id before casting a ballot. That can include a driver license, passport, even a permit to carry a handgun.
But opponents of the law, who claim it is discriminatory, point out that they forced lawmakers to water-down the law.
"The state is required to include a 'reasonable impediment requirement' so people who don't have an approved i.d. can still vote," said Jose Garza of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.
That can include something like a utility bill that shows the person's address, which should match the address on the voter registration records.
The law will be in place for the mid term elections in November.