North Carolina has officially put new voter ID requirements into law on Monday. These controversial new laws will make it so that voters will need to show a valid government-issued ID before being allowed to vote, beginning in 2016.
After signing the bill into law Monday, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory stated that these measures will put in place “common sense” restrictions against voter fraud. CNN reports that McCrory reasons that these laws will protect voters and the democratic process . He also points out that 19 other states have some sort of photo ID requirement at the polls.
Shortly after McCrory signed the new bill into law, civil rights groups filed for lawsuits in federal court , according to CBS News. The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit is 92-year-old Rosanell Eaton, a black woman from Louisburg who has been an active voter for over 60 years.
Eaton was not born in a hospital. As such, her birth certificate and her current, valid driver’s license do not match. According to the suit, for her to be able to vote in 2016, she will have to spend a good deal of time and money to be a valid voter again.
Critics of the new law say it will prevent many legitimate voters in North Carolina from participating in elections. They have argued that it will unfairly discourage minority, elderly, and student voters. Since 2004, they point out, there have only been two cases of alleged voter impersonation fraud.
The new voter ID laws were passed by North Carolina’s lawmakers back in July. This came on the heels of a US Supreme Court decision in June which struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This required certain states suspected of discriminating against minority voters to seek federal approval before being allowed to change their voting laws. North Carolina was among several listed states that have since pushed for new voting laws.
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