Arguing to “ensure election integrity,” Republican lawmakers are advancing a bill that proposes an amendment to the North Carolina Constitution to require voters to show photo identification at the polls. The question would be included on the ballot for the general election to be held on November 6.
The proposal HB 1092 of representatives Tim Moore, David Lewis, Michele Presnell and John Sauls, it is expected to be approved by the legislative body this week and then go to the Senate where, also, this week, it would be given the green light.
Does not require the governor's signature
As it is an amendment to the Constitution, HB 1092 requires the favorable vote of 3/5 of the members in both Houses. That is, in the House of Representatives it needs the support of 72 of the 120 legislators, while in the Senate it needs 30 of the 50.
According to the bill, 34 states have laws that require voters to show some form of identification to vote. Of these, 17 request a photo ID and the rest accept a form of identification without a photo.
An equal law was suspended in the courts
In 2013 the North Carolina General Assembly passed a voter ID law. However, in 2016 the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked its implementation. He noted that it “targeted the African-American community with almost surgical precision,” since in the state “African-American people disproportionately lacked a DMV-issued ID.”
According to state figures, 316,000 registered voters did not have a driver's license or state ID from the DMV. 34% were African Americans (making up 22% of the state's population). Additionally, 55% of them were registered to vote as Democrats.
The Reverend Anthony Spearman, president of NAACP NC, said HB 1092 “will forever harm North Carolina's eligible voters.”
The North Carolina General Assembly is controlled by Republicans. In bills that are referred to the governor, Democrat Roy Cooper, and are vetoed, they have enough votes to override that veto and turn them into law without his support.
Lawmakers have mentioned their desire to end this legislative session at the end of this month.
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