North Carolina’s Gov. Patrick McCrory has signed into law a voting reform bill that will implement strict photo identification requirements the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) says put African American voters at a great disadvantage.
“This lawsuit is part of a movement,” said civil rights advocate Penda Hair at a NAACP press conference Tuesday aired on WRAL.com. She discussed the requirement of same-day registration; she said same-day registration has been shown to be used disproportionately by African Americans. The ID regulations put African Americans at a disadvantage, she said, as many do not have the required ID. If voters are in the wrong precinct, their vote will not be counted, unlike under the more flexible regulations currently in place.
She said the legislation overall will result in less opportunity for African Americans to vote, to have their votes counted, and to elect officials of their choice.
Further, she said, the legislature was intentionally discriminating against African Americans in passing this bill: “The finding of intent discrimination will be important.”
In a YouTube video, McCrory defended the bill, saying people “from the extreme left” are using “scare tactics” to fight it. He said you need government ID to board a plane, and even to buy Sudafed at a drug store. He said voters will have until 2016 to prepare for the enactment of the new regulations.
Live Stream NAACP Press Conference:
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