Raleigh, N.C. – State lawmakers won another key motion against a constitutional challenge to North Carolina’s voter ID law this month after the Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit permitted General Assembly leaders to intervene in a federal case that temporarily blocked the voter ID law from taking effect.
State lawmakers who wrote North Carolina’s voter ID law were previously barred from defending it at the trial level. However, a three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit recently allowed General Assembly leaders to intervene in the case.
Legislators won another key motion last week when the full Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit denied plaintiffs’ motion for a rehearing of that panel.
“North Carolinians know that voter ID is a commonsense, bipartisan way to support the integrity of our elections system that has already been implemented in a strong majority of states,” Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) said this week.
“The General Assembly responded to the will of the people, who added voter ID to North Carolina’s Constitution, by passing a non-strict law that ensures equal access to the ballot box for every eligible citizen. We remain committed to implementing voter ID in North Carolina and appreciate the 4th Circuit’s recognition of our strong standing to defend the law in this case.”
More than thirty states already have some form of voter ID.
North Carolina’s voter ID law is “non-strict,” meaning voters are not required to present a form of photo ID to cast a ballot because they can sign an affirmation of a reasonable impediment to obtaining one.
North Carolina’s voter ID law provides for free government-issued IDs, accommodates religious objectors, and accepts drivers’ licenses, passports, military and veteran IDs, student IDs, voter ID cards, as well as state and local government IDs.
Drivers’ licenses from other states would even qualify as a voter ID in North Carolina under some circumstances.