Voter ID court case in SC could affect NC law

A recent court case in South Carolina could shape the proposed North Carolina voter ID law, which has become a hot topic in this year’s gubernatorial race.

Three federal judges ruled Wednesday that the South Carolina voter ID law can go into effect after the November election.

The law will require a photo ID to vote — but it allows an affidavit as a substitute.

“Those voters (who can not produce a photo ID) simply must sign an affidavit at the polling place and list the reason that they have not obtained a photo ID,” the judges stated in their ruling.

Last year, the Republican-led N.C. General Assembly passed a law that would require a photo ID for voters — without the fallback of an affidavit.

Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed the law, but legislators might attempt to override the veto in next year’s session.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory has made the issue key to his campaign.

“We need to convince everyone that voter ID — photo ID — is very important to protect the democratic process of North Carolina,” he said in a campaign video.

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, his Democratic opponent, opposes a voter ID law.

In light of the South Carolina decision, the proposed N.C. voter ID law might need changes to pass legal muster, said Brent Laurenz, executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education.

“If you have a strict photo ID-only law, I think that’s where you see some of the states get into legal issues.”

Erik Opsal, a spokesman for the Brennan Center for Justice, a national public policy institute that opposes voter ID laws, said legal issues arise from serious voter disenfranchisement.

The center found that as many as 11 percent of voters nationally do not have government-issued photo IDs.

“We view (these laws) as politicians trying to manipulate the system for their own benefit,” Opsal said.

Austin Gilmore, president of UNC Young Democrats, said the law will also put a financial burden on the state.

“If you look at these voter ID laws, pretty much across the board, a necessary component is that the state has to fund free IDs to all its citizens, or else it would be a poll tax,” he said. “Just the cost of that would run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.”

North Carolina’s proposed law would give free IDs — only valid for voter registration — to registered voters who lack a photo ID.

Greg Steele, chairman of the N.C. Federation of College Republicans, said these laws are necessary for fair elections, and this court case will help North Carolina to refigure its law going forward.

“We’re lucky that other states close to us have already pushed for it on this measure,” he said.

Contact the desk editor at state@dailytarheel.com.