Key Points to Follow as NC Voter ID Trial Begins Today

Raleigh, N.C. — The trial on the constitutionality of North Carolina’s 2018 voter ID law begins today in state court. Below are key points to follow as the trial progresses:

1. The requirement for photo voter ID is in the North Carolina Constitution: In 2018, North Carolina voters opted to amend their Constitution to require photo voter ID. Reasonable people can have reasonable disagreements about whether voter ID is a good policy, but that debate is over. The Constitution requires voter ID.

2. The law implementing voter ID was sponsored by an African American Democrat: News coverage of the voter ID law almost always quotes left-wing activists who accuse the bill sponsors of racism. Yet that coverage almost never informs readers that one of the bill sponsors is an African American Democrat. Reporters should take care to note that fact, not bury it.

3. The voter ID law is among the most permissive in the country: The law provides for free IDs to anybody who wants one. It permits a litany of ID options, from driver’s licenses to college IDs to tribal IDs and more. Any voter who does not have a photo ID can still fill out a “reasonable impediment” form and cast a ballot. More restrictive laws in other states have already passed court muster.

4. Voter ID laws improve confidence in the electoral process: Polling shows dangerously low confidence that the 2022 election will be “free and fair,” and it’s true across all ideologies. Voter ID makes voters more confident in elections, and failing to implement voter ID after the people amended their own Constitution to require it shatters confidence.

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