From the Houston Chronicle:
The first election in the Houston region conducted under the new Texas voter ID law went off without a hitch Tuesday, but officials say that doesn't necessarily mean there would be no problems in a statewide general election.
Only two out of 24 provisional ballots cast in a Galveston school district special election related to voter identification, said Bill Sargent, the Galveston county clerk's chief deputy for elections. "There is no way of knowing whether this is indicative of an election statewide, but if this trend continues, it means that voter ID is not a big deal," Sargent said.
With only 45 votes remaining to be counted late Tuesday, a measure authorizing the school district to spend money to comply with the Texas "Robin Hood" school financing law was leading 1,675 in favor and 36 opposed.
Sargent's view was disputed by the presidents of the Galveston County chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens and the city of Galveston chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
"It's just another obstacle to minorities being able to exercise their right to vote," said Anna Olivares, president of LULAC Council 151. Olivares and Galveston NAACP President David Miller said they had learned through first-hand experience how difficult it can be for low-income or non-English speaking voters to obtain a voter ID.
The election is only the third in the state to be conducted under the voter ID law, the subject of a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that it intentionally discriminates against low-income and minority voters by making it more difficult for them to vote.
