On August 4, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a Texas law requiring mail-in voters to provide an identification number—such as a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number—that matches the one on their voter registration. This provision, part of Senate Bill 1 (S.B. 1) passed in 2021, mandates that mail-in ballot applications and the ballots themselves include this matching ID number. If the numbers do not match or are missing, the application or ballot is rejected. The Fifth Circuit reversed a lower court’s decision that had blocked the law, concluding that the ID requirement is material to determining voter eligibility and does not violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964

The ruling was a significant victory for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who defended the law, arguing that it is a valid method to prevent voter fraud and ensure election integrity. He hailed the decision as a major win for election security

The Biden administration and several civil rights organizations, including the ACLU and the Democratic National Committee, had challenged the law, arguing that Texas’s database system is unreliable and results in wrongful ballot rejections. They contended that the ID number requirement violates the Civil Rights Act by leading to the rejection of ballots based on minor errors that are not material to determining voter eligibility

The Fifth Circuit’s decision has significant implications for future elections in Texas. It reinforces the state’s authority to implement strict voter ID requirements for mail-in voting, which proponents argue is necessary to prevent voter fraud. However, critics contend that such measures disproportionately affect minority and low-income voters, who may be less likely to have the required identification. The ruling may prompt further legal challenges and could influence similar laws in other states.