Lawsuit In Works To Stop NC Voter ID Law

CHARLOTTE, NC — A lawsuit is in the works to stop the North Carolina voter identification law days after voters approved an amendment to the state Constitution.

After Thanksgiving, lawmakers say they will start writing what kind of photo identification they want to require and how counties will implement the changes.

“They are going to have to go back and, obviously, pass something that’s going to be able to cut constitutional muster,” said Michael Dickerson.
Dickerson Director of Elections in Mecklenburg County.

He says most voters here did not want the change. 56.69 percent of voters said they were against it.

Statewide, the amendment won 55.55 percent of the vote.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles wrote in a tweet, “The voter ID law didn’t go our way. It’s time to organize and educate.”

“It’s voter suppression,” said Mecklenburg Co. NAACP President Corine Mack. “It’s a way to ensure that people of color specifically do not have the right to vote or have as many hurtles as possible to keep them from voting.”

Mack says it’s a way to stop Democrats from voting. She says elderly, poor and college students have trouble getting state photo IDs.

Republicans argue it deters voter fraud.

Mecklenburg County’s GOP took a new stand Friday.

“I really don’t believe in either of those arguments,” said Chairman Christ Turner. “This is a proactive measure to make sure our elections are valid and uncompromised, and this is just a smart, simple, easy way to do that.”

Lawmakers required voter ID for the 2016 primary election.

By the November Presidential Election, a federal court ruled the law was unconstitutional because it aimed to reduce the amount of minority voters.

The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections says it did take time to train precinct officials on what ID was acceptable. He says there was some confusion.

“There are people who are not going to go through all this. They are going to say you know what my vote does not matter ,” said Mack.

“It all depends on your candidates that are on the ballot, the issues that are out there. people are going to vote when they get motivated to vote,” said Turner.

The North Carolina Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement found one case of voter fraud in 2016. 4.8 million people voted statewide that year.