Final answer:
Opponents of Voter ID laws in Texas argue that these laws make voting costly and burdensome for certain demographic groups, potentially decreasing democratic turnout. They also assert that strict Voter ID laws aim to address a nearly nonexistent voter fraud issue, serving more to limit participation than to protect election integrity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Opponents of Voter ID laws in Texas argue that these laws disproportionately affect groups such as the elderly, minorities, and low-income citizens who tend to vote Democratic, thus minimizing democratic turnout. They contend that obtaining photo ID can be costly and burdensome, pointing out that even free state IDs require documents like birth certificates which have a fee. Additionally, it is argued that these laws address a problem of voter fraud that has minimal evidence of existence, as Department of Justice statistics reveal extremely low numbers of voter fraud in recent times.
Furthermore, changes following the repeal of certain aspects of the 1965 Voting Rights Act have led to stricter voting laws in southern states, which allegedly act as barriers to voting rather than preserving the integrity of elections. Critics of these policies believe that these laws serve more as means to limit voter participation and less as measures to protect the electoral system from fraud.