Republican Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to keep the state's voter ID law in place with early voting starting next week.
Abbott reminded the court Thursday in a lengthy briefing that it has recently blocked rulings in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Ohio that also sought to change state voting procedures so close to Election Day.
Democrats and minority rights groups challenging the Texas law want the high court to enforce a federal judge's decision last week that the state's voter ID law unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of Corpus Christi said the law passed in 2011 amounted to a poll tax.
But a federal appeals court Tuesday ruled that Texas could continue enforcing voter ID for this election.
Early voting begins Monday.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.