North Carolina Gov. McCrory signs voter ID law
(CNN) – North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed a controversial voter ID bill into law Monday, citing the "common sense" need to protect the right to vote.
The law will go into effect for the 2016 elections and will, among other things, require all voters to present a valid government-issued photo ID at the polls. Opponents contend such laws unfairly discriminate against minority voters.
"Common practices like boarding an airplane and purchasing Sudafed require photo ID and we should expect nothing less for the protection of our right to vote," McCrory said in a statement.
The law passed the Republican-controlled state legislature at the end of July.
North Carolina lawmakers approve controversial election changes
North Carolina is now able to pass voting laws without federal pre-approval after the Supreme Court's ruling on the Voting Rights Act in June. The act had given federal control over voting laws in several southern states, including North Carolina.
Supreme Court limits federal oversight of Voting Rights Act
A Republican, McCrory argued that most states already have voter ID laws and admonished elements on the "extreme left" for using "scare tactics."
"They're more interested in divisive politics than ensuring that no one's vote is disenfranchised by a fraudulent ballot," McCrory said.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice have already filed a lawsuit challenging the law, according to a statement the ACLU released Monday. The lawsuit criticizes the law for "voter suppression," specifically targeting provisions that limit early voting, end registration on the same day as the vote and prevent voting "out-of-precinct."
These provisions "would unduly burden the right to vote and discriminate against African-American voters, in violation of the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause and the Voting Rights Act of 1965," the statement says.
"Eliminating a huge part of early voting will cut off voting opportunities for hundreds of thousands of citizens," Dale Ho, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, said in the statement.
"It will turn Election Day into a mess, shoving more voters into even longer lines."
Allison Riggs, staff attorney for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, said the law would make it more difficult for African-Americans to cast their vote.
"Taken together, the new restrictions in this law will disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of eligible voters, depriving many of our most vulnerable citizens from being able to easily exercise a constitutional right," Riggs said in the statement.
Common sense doesn't mean what he seems to think it means. "Common sense" is looking at the evidence and determining whether it's needed in the first place. "Common sense" is looking at the evidence and determining whether it will do more harm than good. When the answers to those questions are resoundingly "no" and "yes", respectively, as shown by historical record and myriad studies, then "common sense" dictates that you find a better way to waste your time...lest "common sense" dictate that everyone else conclude that your motivations aren't really what you say they are.
Thank goodness we have the GOP out there "protecting" our rights........do these guys really think we are that stupid? The only thing they are trying to protect is their power. If people are of a mind to vote them out of office, why the thing to do is to prevent as many of them as possible from voting in the first place. That's "protecting" them?
"It will turn Election Day into a mess, shoving more voters into even longer lines.""
Well duh, that was their intent...so "Mission Accomplished."
Very pathetic idiot.
This is how insanity looks.
"Republicans have said the legislation is meant to prevent voter fraud, which they claim is both rampant and undetected"
How they know that it is rampant if, by their own words, it is undetected? This like saying that everyone should get radiation therapy for cancer that cannot be detected.
This man McCrory is not so much a governor as an overseer.
why would this law discriminate against anybody? the ACLU says it would make it 'more difficult' for african-americans to vote. why? i,m black and find the ACLU's statement an insult. do they think all of "us" are too stupid to get an ID?
Remember folks- this is the party for "greater freedom" in action- taking away voter's rights and civil rights!
Another lying christian republican hypocrite low life. All you losers who agree with this slime who get on here and constantly talk about Obama's lies, please list 3 of Obama's lies. I know noone will, because you've only been told he lies. I have no doubt you can't even list 3, or 2 or 1. Every Obama hater who posts on here are brainless idiots. I have NEVER read one truthful, logical, fact based post from a Republican on here in well over a year, not one. Are there any conservatives left who can think for themselves? I truly don't believe there is.
The GOP will never again win a national election and will lose the house in 2014 in spite. Of GOP vote rigging attempts , who needs these southern hick states that don't contribute anything to our country!!!!
GOP is already dead. For a decade ot two, GOP idiots are totally defunct.....
For someone who presents himself as a moderate, he will be regarded in history among the most anti-woman and anti-minority governors in history....and we're talking INCLUDING the Jim Crowe era Dixie governors.
Do we need any more proof that we still need a full-strength voting rights act? the states who got out from under it thanks to the SCOTUS decision couldn't wait to pass laws designed to disenfranchise as many likely Dem voters as possible. the repugs are waging war on our democracy and anyone stupid enough to vote for them is a soldier in the war against the country they claim to love.
How does limiting early voting do ANYTHING to prevent voter fraud?
How stupid do Republicans think people are?
And what kind of a person would continue to support a party that is ACTIVELY trying to destroy democracy?
Everyone should have to prove who they are when voting. How would anyone know if it was an illegal or not?
it's not just about african americans, CNN Sooo move on that garbadge is old
Given that Voter ID has 75% support nationally and even majority support from Democrats, its sill for liberals to cry racist, but not surprising.
this here feller looks a lot like the feller who was the warden in the Shawshank Redemption and he probaly is just as sneaky! I Rest Ma Case!
Okay, let me see if I’ve got this right. It is an unbearable burden for people to go out and get a voter ID card. They just cannot do it and should not be required to do it. Okay, let me ask this question: These same people go out almost every day to buy their food, clothing, and everything else that they need to live from day to day. Why is it that they can do those things and not see them as burdensome, yet going to an office and getting a free ID card is too onerous a burden? Is that what we are supposed to believe??
People stop crying, you have 3+ years to get a photo ID. Plenty of time. If you dont like this guy blame yourself, you people put him in that seat. Get your ID and remove him.
Here in MN we have to show an ID and know is crying about it.
Making it difficult, if not impossible, for some people to vote is protecting the right to vote? What kind of convoluted double speak is that? There is no discernible voter fraud in this country.What you have done is exactly why WE NEEDED AND STILL NEED SECTIONS 4 AND 5 of the VRA – to stop states like you who want to deny voters their rights. What you are doing is discriminatory and evil. How do you sleep at night?
....GOTP.........fixing non existent problems........the only kind they can.......
It's like living under Taliban rule here folks. We have a war on women, minorities, education, the poor, old folks, the sick, the middle class and anyone that is college educated. Our republican controlled legislature has passed laws taking control of anything any of our cities that are not rural can do. They voted to take control of Charlotte's Airport, Asheville's Airport and water system. Our governor will be a one term governor because he lied to get elected and he knows it. He was a moderate when he was mayor of Charlotte because it was the only way a republican could get elected. In my 60 plus years living here and born here I am ashamed to tell anyone when we travel where I live. We have been set back 50 years. And NO I did not vote for any of the republican clowns in our state legislature or the Governor. As of today our state is being sued left and right because of some of the laws the republicans passed. Whew I feel better after letting everyone know this state is going to hell in a hand basket.
Protecting the right to vote? Or is it to protect the vote going to the right. If mom and pop America allow this to go on much further, we'll be more like prewar Germany. Is this what we want?