Texas AG: Voter ID Law Won't Change Before Election

Texas' contested voter ID law does not keep any legally registered voters from casting a ballot, and while the state continues to fight a federal appeals court ruling against the legislation, the law will be in effect during the general election in November, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Thursday.

"We have a interim order that we've worked out with the Justice Department, so we're going forward with an interim plan that requires an affidavit if somebody does not have a photo ID and cannot get a photo ID," Paxton told Fox News' Martha MacCallum on the "America's Newsroom" program.

This means, he explained, that a declaration of citizenship and proof of residency must also be presented, along with the affidavit that swears the cannot get the government-issued ID required under Texas law.

The voter ID law was passed in 2011, said Paxton, because voters in his state care about voter integrity.

"My job to represent those voters, so we're going to take it to the highest court of land and, hopefully, get this turned around," said Paxton, denying critics' claims that the law discriminates against black and Hispanic voters.

"I disagree because we've had hundreds of local elections under this law, and the Justice Department was unable to show people couldn't vote," said Paxton. "Literally, there's seven different forms of ID you can use, and almost everyone has them, and we'll give you a free voter ID if you don't have one. We've tried to cover all options and, frankly, this law's worked."

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