Last week, the Democratic National Committee announced the launch of an initiative to protect and expand voting rights.
In the video announcing the project, former President Bill Clinton spoke about laws passed by many state legislatures which he said would limit the right to vote.
Many of the laws Clinton listed sound similar to the provisions passed by the N.C. General Assembly. In the video, Clinton talks about photo ID requirements and the elimination of both early voting and voting on Sundays.
Clinton said the laws are made to target the elderly, minorities and college students, among others.
Clinton also called on Democratic Party leaders not only to oppose these actions but also to work on expanding voter accessibility.
By having Clinton speak, national Democrats are showing they are going to make voting a prominent issue in their campaign to increase voter turnout.
But public sentiment might not be as strong as what Democrats are banking on. When North Carolina’s law first passed, Public Policy Polling found that while a majority of North Carolina voters oppose limiting early voting and straight ticket voting, voters also support voter identification laws.
View from the Hill is a political blog by Daily Tar Heel staff writers. Any opinion expressed in it does not represent the Daily Tar Heel. Email the blog coordinator at dthviewfromthehill@gmail.com.
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