Expert: Voter ID Law Would Affect Minorities Most

WASHINGTON (AP) — An expert witness for the Justice Department says the Texas voter ID law would affect minority voters more than white ones.

A Harvard University professor, Steven Ansolabehere, is an expert in statistics and elections. He testified Thursday that his research shows the 2011 Texas law requiring voters to present a valid, government-issued photo ID is more likely to affect black and Hispanic voters than white voters.

Lawyers for Texas argue that Ansolabehere's methodology is flawed.

Ansolabhere is expected to be the last witness in a weeklong trial before a three-judge federal panel in Washington over the voter ID law. The Justice Department blocked the law in March, citing the Voting Rights Act. Texas then sued the Justice Department.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.