In June, the United States Supreme Court struck down a key formula of the Voting Rights Act. Section IV of the 1965 law required all or part of 15 states with a history of discrimination to seek approval from the Justice Department or a federal court before making any changes to their voting procedures.
Since then, some of those 15 states have moved to change how they run elections. Most recently, on Monday, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed a far-reaching election reform bill into law. The new law will require voters to present a valid photo ID at the polls, shorten early voting to 10 days, and eliminate pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. It also does away with straight-ticket voting and same-day registration.
The reactions have been strong, not only among voters in the Tar Heel State, but also around the country. “It’s a controversial law because it’s one of the boldest laws that have been passed in many years to try and regulate the voting process,” said Joshua A. Douglas, an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law. “There’s major debate about what the law is trying to tackle.”
In a video statement by Gov. McCrory, he argued that the law is intended to root out voter fraud. Opponents of the law argue that the incidence of voter fraud is so scarce that the law is unnecessary. According to Professor Douglas, the instances of in-person impersonation — showing up at the polls, and trying to vote as someone else — are extremely rare.
Almost immediately following the law's passage in North Carolina, civil rights groups filed lawsuits in federal court challenging the law.
Below, North Carolina Gov. McCrory's statement:
