In a major ruling Thursday, a federal court blocked a controversial Texas law that would require voters to show photo identification before casting ballots. The court said the law could curtail the ability of hundreds of thousands of minorities to vote. It cited evidence that showed the law did the most harm to African Americans and Hispanics, who are more likely to live in poverty. Texas says it plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. At least 16 states have passed restrictive voting laws that have the potential to impact the 2012 election. We’re joined by two guests who have been closely following the case: Elise Boddie, director of litigation for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which is representing college students in Texas who could be disenfranchised under the voter ID law, and journalist Ari Berman, who covers voting rights for The Nation magazine. [includes rush transcript]
