Judge orders Texas to let feds review new voter ID outreach

A federal judge says Texas must change its voter outreach efforts after the U.S. Justice Department accused the state of reneging on a deal to soften its tough voter ID law.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos on Tuesday also ordered Texas to begin letting federal officials review drafts of voter outreach and education materials before they are published.

Texas was forced to relax voter ID requirements before Election Day after a federal appeals court found the state's 2011 law discriminated against minorities and the poor.

The Justice Department says that despite the ruling, Texas still gives the impression that some voters can't cast a ballot.

Texas must now tell residents who can't obtain an ID due to a "reasonable impediment" that they can still vote by signing an affidavit.

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