A.R. 6
In Support of Student Identification Cards from Institutes of Higher Education Meeting
Voter Requirements in the State of Texas
IN THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Authors:
Mr. KORNEL RADY (PRESIDENT, STUDENT GOVERNMENT), MS. TAYLOR
STRICKLAND (VICE-PRESIDENT, STUDENT GOVERNMENT), MR. CHRISTOPHER
JORDAN (CHIEF OF STAFF, STUDENT GOVERNMENT)
Sponsors:
MR. SERGIO CAVAZOS (REPRESENTATIVE, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS),
Anish Patel, Taral Patel, and Tanner Long
WHEREAS,
Student Government, per the Board of Regents Rules and Regulations, serves as the
official voice of students at The University of Texas at Austin; and
WHEREAS,
the State of Texas, in 2011, required voters for the first time to produce a stateapproved form of photo identification to vote with SB 14, and
WHEREAS,
the list of acceptable identification includes a driver’s license, a passport, a military
ID and a concealed gun permit, but does not include a student photo ID issued by
an institution of higher education, and
WHEREAS,
those with no acceptable IDs were only allowed to cast provisional ballots, and
WHEREAS,
according to a national survey sponsored by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU
School of Law, millions of Americans, especially elderly, poor, and minority voters
do not have readily available documentation of citizenship; women are more likely
to lack documents with their current name; minority populations and economically
disadvantaged communities are less likely to have government issued IDs¹; and
WHEREAS,
this marginalization is even more pronounced among younger populations, with
survey results showing that as many as 18 percent of citizens aged 18-24 do not
have photo identification with a current address and name;² and
WHEREAS,
transient students must continue to re-register to vote or apply for a new DPS
issued identification to conform to the law, and
WHEREAS,
by nature, student populations are prone to annual changes in residential address
due to factors including cost, and
WHEREAS,
states such as Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Arkansas, Michigan, Virginia, and
Washington allow student identification cards from accredited institutions to serve
as photo identification at voting locations; and
WHEREAS,
some states with strict voter ID laws in place, such as Kansas, consider student
identification cards as valid for voter registration and voting-day purposes;³ and
WHEREAS,
the 2016 presidential election, which will incur high voter traffic and national
attention, will be relevant to students and their concerns; and
WHEREAS,
Student Government has dedicated itself to encouraging a civically engaged student
population through agencies such as Hook the Vote, Federal Relations, State
Relations, and City Relations, and
WHEREAS,
student identification cards meeting voter requirements in the State of Texas would
increase voter participation and involvement on the UT Austin campus and at
institutions across the state of Texas; therefore be it
RESOLVED,
that the Student Government of the University of Texas at Austin believes not
including photo identification cards issued by institutions of higher education, such
as the University of Texas at Austin, marginalizes student populations by creating
unreasonable demands on voters in that population, and be it further
RESOLVED,
that the Student Government of the University of Texas at Austin supports the
efforts of those fighting for student identification cards to meet voter requirements,
and be it further
RESOLVED,
that the Student Government of the University of Texas at Austin, including (but
not limited to) the Student Body President, Kornel Rady; the Student Body VicePresident, Taylor Strickland; the Chief of Staff, Christopher Jordan; the Internal
Financial Director, Rachel Miller; the External Financial Director, Kyle Mason; the
Administrative Director, Nosayaba Aimuyo; and relevant stakeholders such as the
members of the Assembly, Policy Directors, Agency Directors, Executive Staff, and
External Appointees work diligently with members of the student body, university
administration, activists in the city of Austin, and members of the Texas Legislature
to mitigate historically low voter turnout rates and marginalization among student
populations by advocating and campaigning for action by the 84th Legislature of the
State of Texas regarding student identification cards meeting voting requirements
for the State of Texas, and be it further
RESOVLED,
That this resolution be sent to the following members of the University of Texas at
Austin administration: Mr. William Powers, President of the University of Texas at
Austin;; Mr. Carlos Martinez, Associate Vice-President for Governmental Relations;
Ms. Gwen Grigsby, Associate Vice-President for Governmental Relations; following
campus entities: The Daily Texan; the following members of the University of Texas
System Administration: Mr. Paul Foster, the Chairman of the Board of Regents of
the University of Texas System; the Board of Regents of the University of Texas
System; and Mr. Francisco Cigarroa, Chancellor of the University of Texas System,
in order to encourage that the issue of student identification cards from institutes of
higher education meeting voter requirements in the State of Texas be a legislative
priority.
1. Brenner Center for Justice. “Citizens Without Proof: A Survey of Americans’ Possession of Documentary Proof of Citizenship and
Photo Identification.” NYU School of Law. 2006. http://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legacy/d/download_file_39242.pd
2. Ibid.
3. National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). “Voter Identification Requirements”. 2014. http://www.ncsl.org/research/electionsand-campaigns/voter-id.aspx