A new voter ID law came into effect in North Carolina on Oct. 1. It drastically altered the electoral procedures of the state and introduced some of the most stringent voting laws in the nation. The Justice Department plans to sue the state, citing that this law is a blatant attempt to disenfranchise minority voters.
The issue is part of a larger effort by the Obama Administration to halt a series of voter ID laws, which have arisen since the Supreme Court ruled to cut a key provision of the Voting Rights Act this summer. The provision required the federal government to approve any legislation affecting electoral procedures in Southern states that have a history of racial tension.
North Carolina’s law disproportionately targets black voters, requiring them to present a valid form of photo ID. It also cuts the early day voting period by seven days and eliminates same-day registration. One of the most readily available forms of photo ID is a driver’s licence, but according to a Department of Justice lawsuit, black households are three times less likely to own a vehicle than white households, and therefore less likely to carry a driver’s license.
Blacks also predominantly cast their ballot early in the 2008 and 2012 elections. In 2008, 71 percent of blacks who cast ballots utilized early voting. Now, only 23 percent use the first week of voting to register their vote.
Historically, black voters have largely supported Democratic candidates, which deepens concerns that restrictive voter ID laws are intended to further a Republican agenda. In 2012, 93 percent of blacks in the country voted for Obama.
Contrary to conservative arguments that voter ID laws are necessary to combat voter fraud, the evidence does not meet these claims. Of the nearly 7 million North Carolina voters who cast ballots in the 2012 presidential elections, including the primaries, there were only 121 alleged cases of voter fraud in the state. Given the minute 0.00173 percent of unconfirmed voter fraud, the new law addresses an imaginary problem.
Following the 2012 presidential election, American citizens began pushing for a more efficient voter registration system after widespread experiences of long lines and under-resourced election offices. But the real issue is deceptive voting laws with strict identification standards that limit the participation of a specific group of people. Laws like these are not protecting our democratic system from voter fraud, but deliberately making it harder for citizens to participate in the democratic process. North Carolina’s law is undemocratic at best and discriminatory at worst.
A version of this article appears in the Wednesday, Oct. 2 print edition. Email the WSN Editorial Board at edit [email protected].
