Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, [official website] on Monday dismissed a lawsuit challenging Texas’ voter ID law, in light of the Fifth Circuit Court’s April decision [text, PDF] upholding the law as constitutional.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced [press release] the victory for Senate Bill 5 [text, PDF], saying the law will help to prevent fraud and criminal conduct at the ballots. He also explained the necessity of the requirement and the flexibility the law provides for voters:

Safeguarding the integrity of our elections is a primary function of state government and is essential to preserving our democratic process. Senate Bill 5 removes any burden on voters who cannot obtain a photo ID. Registered voters without one of the seven state-approved forms of photo identification to cast an in-person ballot by signing a sworn declaration of reasonable impediment stating why they couldn’t obtain photo ID.

Gonzales Ramos’ two-sentence order rendered the plaintiffs’ claims moot, since the law was upheld at the appellate court.

Concerns over voter fraud in recent elections around the globe have causde voting reform to become a central issue for state legislatures, ultimately flooding the courts with constitutional challenges. Earlier this month, the US Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit ruled [opinion, PDF] that Arizona ballot collection laws did not violate [JURIST report] the First, Fourteenth and Fifteenth [text] Amendments or Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act [text]. Also this month the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reinstated [text] Michigan’s ban on straight ticket voting by granting [JURIST report] the Secretary of State’s motion to stay a lower court ruling [opinion, PDF], which held the law violated the constitution and Voter Rights Act.