By — Gary D. Robertson, Associated Press Gary D. Robertson, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/north-carolina-judges-strike-down-states-latest-voter-id-law Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter North Carolina judges strike down state’s latest voter ID law Politics Sep 17, 2021 2:04 PM EDT RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina judges struck down the state’s latest photo voter identification law on Friday, agreeing with minority voters that Republicans rammed through rules tainted by racial bias as a way to remain in power. Two of the three trial judges hearing a lawsuit declared the December 2018 law is unconstitutional, despite being designed to implement a photo voter ID mandate added to the North Carolina Constitution in a referendum just weeks earlier. They said the law intentionally discriminates against Black voters, violating their equal protections. The “was motivated at least in part by an unconstitutional intent to target African American voters,” Superior Court Judges Michael O’Foghludha and Vince Rozier wrote in their 100-page majority opinion. “Other, less restrictive voter ID laws would have sufficed to achieve the legitimate nonracial purposes of implementing the constitutional amendment requiring voter ID, deterring fraud, or enhancing voter confidence.” We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Gary D. Robertson, Associated Press Gary D. Robertson, Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina judges struck down the state’s latest photo voter identification law on Friday, agreeing with minority voters that Republicans rammed through rules tainted by racial bias as a way to remain in power. Two of the three trial judges hearing a lawsuit declared the December 2018 law is unconstitutional, despite being designed to implement a photo voter ID mandate added to the North Carolina Constitution in a referendum just weeks earlier. They said the law intentionally discriminates against Black voters, violating their equal protections. The “was motivated at least in part by an unconstitutional intent to target African American voters,” Superior Court Judges Michael O’Foghludha and Vince Rozier wrote in their 100-page majority opinion. “Other, less restrictive voter ID laws would have sufficed to achieve the legitimate nonracial purposes of implementing the constitutional amendment requiring voter ID, deterring fraud, or enhancing voter confidence.” We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now