Senator challenges home state voter ID law
Updated 8/13/2013 at 5:22pm
(CNN) - The day after North Carolina's Republican Gov. Pat McCrory signed a controversial voter ID bill into law, one of the U.S. senators from his state is seeking to challenge it.
In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan asked that the Justice Department look into the law she worried would "restrict the ability of minorities, seniors, students, the disabled, and low and middle income citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote," she wrote.
Hagan urged Holder to review the law "and take all appropriate steps to protect federal civil rights and the fundamental right to vote."
The first-term Senator specifically took issue with the parts of the law that reduces the early voting period, removes preregistration of high school students, stops registration on the same day as voting and limits provisional ballot voting, along with the requirement to present a government-issued photo ID.
Those same issues are being challenged in a pair of lawsuits filed the same day the bill was signed into law. One lawsuit is from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, the other comes from the NAACP and the Advancement Project.
Federal oversight over voting laws has already been seriously curbed after the Supreme Court's June ruling on the Voting Rights Act. That provision required pre-approval of voting laws in certain southern states like North Carolina.
Supreme Court limits federal oversight of Voting Rights Act
In a statement praising the new bill Monday. McCrory called the law necessary for "ensuring that no one's vote is disenfranchised by a fraudulent ballot."
From CNN Politics
- Kentucky law aimed at increasing parental oversight in education takes effect
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- New York grand jury won't hear Trump case again this week
- Defense secretary defends abortion policies at center of Senate nomination hold-up
- Justice Department moves to end consent decree with Seattle Police Department
- Why the mass shooting cycle remains predictable and permanent
Ya know, the democrats are simply criminal........they will do anything to get away with their voter fraud crimes.
@just saying: "vote her out of office people of north carolina.... she's a leftist democrat that supports voter fraud."
I'm doing my best–and I just sent a note to Hagan telling her that. Even 60% of Democrats support voter ID laws.
Just another Democrat trying to protect the rights of Mickey Mouse and corpses to vote for Democrats.
What's wrong with voter ID? To vote in this country is a privilege, and we need to know who you say you are. We have too many illegals running around, and they are going to vote just because they are here? You need to prove you are a citizen of this country to cast your vote. Wake up people!!
COME ON WHATS UP WITH THAT COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER!!!!
I hope NC has a lot of money to waste on lawsuits. Which they will surely lose. So much for being the party of financial responsibility.
"are states budgets are being bankrupted by fraud and illegal immigration and our government doesn't get it! "
Your state budgets are being bankrupted by three things: (a) the refusal to tax, (b) the inability to tax the middle class that results from refusing to force corporations to pay legitimate living wages and provide benefits to employees all so the top executives can make 8 figure salaries and have 10 figure golden parachutes and (c) the inability to tax the extremely wealthy and corporations that comes from handing them the keys to the kingdom via political systems that encourage plutocratic control. It's really that simple. If you think some people need to be struggling so that some people can be obscenely rich...that the struggling "obviously aren't trying hard enough, as evidenced by the fact that they are struggling" and that the extremely wealthy are "obviously virtuous, hard working people who deserve special treatment and a free pass from contributing back to the society that made their riches possible," then your gov't is going to be broke....no ifs, ands or buts.
Just saw this subject discussed on CNN (TV). They showed the governor's video and cut out the part where he mentions that a state ID is now offered for free at the DMV for those who do not drive....then the panel talking about the issue accused him of not offering a free id. Had to go to FOX News channel to see the full video. This happens so often I am getting sincerely sick of it.
@Michigan patriot – "To vote in this country is a privilege..."
**********************************
A privilege? Really??? How about our most basic right. There is no material issue with voter fraud. YOU need to WAKE UP and do some research and educate yourself. How many citizens are you willing to disenfranchise to prevent a non-existant problem. Oh that's right, it's not about fraud at all – the goal is to stop certain types of U.S. citizens from voting, isn't it???
Democrats Election Strategy:
Vote Early, Vote Often and Don't forget to make sure your dead aunts and uncles vote too!
Rick McDaniel
Ya know, the democrats are simply criminal........they will do anything to get away with their voter fraud crimes.
-–
Yeah, right. Like they did in the precints in Ohio and Florida in 2000 where they received more votes than there were registered voters.
Oh, wait............
You are a joke to this state.
Voter ID is needed, it's free, and you have to have an ID to cash a check, charge cards, and to buy beer so tell me again how this will keep the voters away.
The Democrats are afraid that they will not get the votes they did before because people are voting for other people now.
You and anyone who says this will keep voters away from voting are just plain stupid if anything it will bring more true voters out.
What does shutting off early voting, and limiting polling machines in certain districts have to do with I.D.'s? Nothing, that's what. Quit the distraction about ID. Much more is being done to restrict the "wrong people's" right to vote than requiring ID.
By the way, having worked on the 2012 campaign in Pennsylvania, I can tell you that the attempts to disenfranchise and intimidate voters had EXACTLY the opposite effect. People don't like it when you try to take away their rights and people were really peeved off in PA. These efforts to take away voting rights have made hundreds of thousands of poor and minority voters more determined than ever. People who may have not taken the effort to vote have become committed voters – probably for life. No voter drives could ever stimulate the vote as much as these UNAMERICAN fools who are trying to disenfranchise their fellow citizens... and we thank you for that.