It seems North Carolina is due a legal autopsy of its voter identification law next year, no matter what.
This week, a Superior Court judge denied North Carolina’s motion to dismiss a pending voter ID lawsuit. State lawyers attempted to argue that the case—brought by plaintiffs that include the League of Women Voters of N.C. and the A. Philip Randolph Institute—should be dismissed after lawmakers approved an amendment to their mammoth voter law in May.
The modification will allow some voters in the March 2016 primary to vote without proper ID provided they show they have a “reasonable impediment” to having such an ID, which would include lack of transportation, a disability or illness, a rigorous work schedule or a lost or stolen photo ID.
Opponents of the law are arguing that the much-loathed statutes are unconstitutional and discriminatory. The law was written by Republicans who said they hoped to prevent voter fraud, despite little evidence that voter fraud is a widespread problem.
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice, or SCSJ, is representing the plaintiffs in the case, which will be heard following next year’s primaries. The SCSJ says it will use the primary to determine whether the “reasonable impediment” clause alleviates their concerns of disenfranchisement for specific voters.
Read the court ruling here.
