Supreme Court declines to block Texas’ voter ID law

AUSTIN — The U.S. Supreme Court refused Friday to block Texas’ voter ID law for the 2016 elections, but the high court left open the potential it could intervene in the case in the near future.

In a one-paragraph order, the Supreme Court snubbed civil rights groups challenging Texas’ controversial law but also gave a federal appeals court currently handling the lawsuit until July 20 to issue a ruling — or it might step in.

“The Court recognizes the time constraints the parties confront in light of the scheduled elections in November, 2016,” the order reads. “If, on or before July 20, 2016, the Court of Appeals has neither issued an opinion on the merits of the case nor issued an order vacating or modifying the current stay order, an aggrieved party may seek interim relief from this Court by filing an appropriate application.”

A federal judge in 2014 found Texas’ law requiring voters to show picture identification at the polls violated parts of the Voting Rights Act. A three-judge panel from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with that ruling last year and ordered the law to be fixed.

However, the 5th Circuit Court has allowed the law to stay in effect without change following both rulings. The full bench of the appeals court has agreed to rehear the case May 24.

The groups argued that the 5th Circuit Court’s scheduling of the case is likely to prevent a ruling in time for the 2016 elections. Texas starts its election preparations in June, just days after the full appeals court will revisit the case.

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, DForth Worth, and civil rights groups suing Texas asked the Supreme Court last month to vacate a 5th Circuit ruling that has allowed the voter ID law to continue being used unchanged and to reinstate an injunction against the measure.

Friday’s ruling shot down that request after it was deliberated for more than a month, a timeline that lawyers say indicates the justices were split and possibly reached a compromise ruling. It would have taken the votes of five of the current eight justices to have blocked the law.

The ruling gave both sides leeway to claim some element of victory.

Attorney General Ken Paxton said: “We appreciate the Supreme Court allowing the law to remain in effect at this time and look forward to defending the merits of our case in front of the entire 5th Circuit next month.”

And Manny Garcia, Texas Democratic Party deputy executive director, said the state party is “pleased to see that the Supreme Court will be clarifying any confusion for voters before the presidential election.”

“It will soon be time for the high court to have a final say in this matter,” Garcia said.