Court Strikes Down GOP-Backed Voting Restrictions In North Carolina

[mikesimon]

WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court on Wednesday ordered a lower court to block two new voting restrictions in North Carolina, saying there was "no doubt" the measures would disenfranchise minorities.

North Carolina will now be required to reinstate same-day voter registration, as well as allow voters to cast ballots even if they show up to vote in the wrong precinct.

In a two-to-one ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled that "whether the number is thirty or thirty-thousand, surely some North Carolina minority voters will be disproportionately adversely affected in the upcoming election" and that it was important to act now, since "there could be no do-over and no redress" once the election was over.

The appeals court ruled that the lower court "failed to adequately consider North Carolina’s history of voting discrimination" and said the new law eliminated "voting mechanisms successful in fostering minority participation."

"The injury to these voters is real and completely irreparable if nothing is done to enjoin this law," the ruling said.

North Carolina began considering new voting restrictions last June, the day after the Supreme Court gutted a provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that protected minority voters in certain states with a history of discrimination. Gov. Pat McCrory (R) ultimately signed House Bill 589 into law in August 2013. The law eliminated a number of measures intended to protect would-be voters from being disenfranchised and required them to show photo identification at the polls.

The Justice Department joined civil rights groups in suing over the law a month later.

"The election laws in North Carolina prior to House Bill 589’s enactment encouraged participation by qualified voters," the appeals court ruled Wednesday. "But the challenged House Bill 589 provisions stripped them away. The public interest thus weighs heavily in Plaintiffs’ favor."

The court did, however, affirm the lower court's decision to allow North Carolina to reduce the number of early-voting days, expand the basis for voter challenges and enact several other new restrictions.

"With respect to these provisions, we conclude that, although Plaintiffs may ultimately succeed at trial, they have not met their burden of satisfying all elements necessary for a preliminary injunction," the court ruled.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/north-carolina-voting-restrictions_n_5914634.html

[el_em_en_oh]

This is all in an effort to give illegal Mexicans the ability to vote?

[R Glass]

“as well as allow voters to cast ballots even if they show up to vote in the wrong precinct.”

I’m all for doing what we can to assure everyone gets an opportunity to vote but the line has to be drawn somewhere.

[Vance2335]

Could not read the article because the title when I got to the link was an instant turn off Republican hit piece filled with lies.

[teko]

I heard it on cnn, but it was either Miss or Minn or Wisconsin. Cannot remember which.

I also found this very enlightening.

http://prospect.org/article/22-states-wave-new-voting-restrictions-threatens-shift-outcomes-tight-races

[Vance2335]

What state is this in?

[teko]

Okay, so you voted absentee? As such, and you got word tomorrow that altho you already cast your vote, now the regulations have changed and in order for your vote to count, you must now come in person and show various forms of id, some of which you may or may not have, after the fact of already voting.

This is one of the things actually happenning in one of the states. I dunno about you, but that would irritate me big time....And then, what if you didnt have one of the forms or documents requested and now had to go hunt it down? And if you didnt? your vote is thrown in the trash....

You would think, they would have the laws in place before people started casting their votes imo...