.
. THE
. THE VOTER ID LAW IS ONCE AGAIN AN ACTIVE CONVERSATION IN OUR
STATE AS A THREE PANEL JUDGE IN
WAKE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
CONSIDERS WHETHER TO UPHOLD OR
OVERRULE THE TWENTY EIGHTEEN
AMENDMENT SUPPORTERS OF THE LAW
SAY IT WILL PREVENT VOTER FRAUD
AND INCREASE ELECTION SECURITY.
BUT OPPONENTS LIKE STATE
DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE
PRICEY HARRISON ARGUE THE LAW
WOULD IMPEDE ON VOTERS RIGHTS
AND COST THE STATE MONEY THAT
DOESN'T NEED TO BE SPENT RIGHT
NOW.
THIRTY FIVE STATES HAVE SOME
FORM OF A VOTER ID LAW.
REPRESENTATIVE HARRISON IS SET
TO TESTIFY ON MONDAY AND
HARRISON FILED AN AFFIDAVIT FOR
THE PROSECUTION ARGUING VOTER
ID DISCRIMINATES AGAINST LOWER
INCOME AMERICANS WHO DON'T HAVE
IDS OR EASY ACCESS TO GET THEM.
THE AFFIDAVIT FOR THESE
ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ID THAT
COULD HELP MINORITIES, WOMEN
AND YOUNGER VOTERS WFMY IS
MEGHANN MOLLERUS SPOKE WITH HER
ABOUT THE WALL AND WHAT THIS
MEANS FOR VOTERS WHO VOTED FOR
IT.
>> NUANCE IS THAT THERE ARE A
COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND NORTH
CAROLINIANS WHO DO NOT HAVE
THAT D THAT THAT WILL BE
REQUIRED TO VOTE AND YOU HAVE A
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO VOTE.
PEOPLE THINK I NEED A DRIVER'S
LICENSE TO GET ON A PLANE OR TO
OR I DID OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT
BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T
DRIVE WHO DON'T GET ON A PLANE,
WHO DON'T HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT,
THEY DON'T HAVE IDS AND THESE
PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO VOTE TO
>> SO.
FIFTY FIVE PERCENT OF VOTERS
PASS THE ID LAW IN TWENTY
EIGHTEEN WHEN THE PROPOSAL
APPEARED ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT
.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME
THE VOTER ID HAS BEEN A
CONVERSATION IN OUR STATE.
IN 2013 THE STATE PASSED WHAT
IS KNOWN AS A STRICT VOTER ID
LAW BUT LAWMAKERS AMENDED THE
LEGISLATION IN TWENTY FIFTEEN
TO CHANGE IT TO A NON STRICT
VOTER ID LAW.
WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STRICT AND
NON-STRIKING.
JUST ONE MOMENT.
BUT YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING
WHY DID VOTERS HAVE TO VOTE
AGAIN ON AN ID LAW IN TWENTY
EIGHTEEN IF LAWMAKERS PASSED
LEGISLATION IN 2013?
WELL IT'S ALL BECAUSE IN TWENTY
SIXTEEN A FEDERAL COURT STRUCK
DOWN A WALL DOWN IN THE US
SUPREME COURT I SHOULD SAY
DECLINED TO HEAR THE CASE IN
TWENTY SEVENTEEN WHEN THE
SUPREME COURT REFUSES TO HEAR A
CASE.
THE LOWER COURT'S RULING STANDS
SO THIS MEANS THE VOTER ID LAW
DID NOT GO INTO EFFECT.
LET'S FAST FORWARD NOW TO WHEN
VOTERS PASSED THE LAW IN TWENTY
EIGHTEEN LAWMAKERS DELAYED THE
LEGISLATION IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN
BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE LAWSUITS
BECAUSE OF THE DELAY THE CALL
DID NOT TAKE EFFECT IN TIME FOR
THE TWENTY TWENTY PRIMARIES >>
.
>> SO HERE WE ARE TODAY STILL
DEBATING IF YOU SHOULD BE
REQUIRED TO PROVIDE AN ID WHEN
YOU GO INTO THE BALLOT BOX A
VOTER ID LAW USUALLY ONLY
APPLIES FOR IN-PERSON VOTING.
WE MENTIONED STRICT AND NON
STRICT VOTER IDS BUT WHAT DOES
THAT EVEN MEAN?
WELL, A STATE WITH A NON STRICT
VOTER ID LAW ALLOWS VOTERS TO
VOTE ON A PROVISIONAL BALLOT IF
THEY CANNOT PROVIDE A PROPER ID
WHEN THEY VOTE.
THE VOTER CAST THEIR VOTE ON
THE PROVISIONAL AND DOESN'T
NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE IN THE
ELECTION DAY ROLLS AROUND,
ELECTION OFFICIALS WILL REVIEW
THE VOTER'S INFORMATION TO SEE
IF THEY ARE REGISTERED AND
ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROVISIONAL
BALLOT TO COUNT FOR A STRICT
STATE THE VOTER WOULD STILL
VOTE USING A PROVISIONAL
BALLOT.
BUT THE DIFFERENCE HERE IS THAT
THE VOTER WOULD HAVE TO GO TO
THEIR LOCAL BOARD OF ELECTIONS
OFFICE AFTER ELECTION DAY AND
PRESENT THEIR ID IN ORDER FOR
THEIR BALLOT TO BE COUNTED.
REMEMBER THE WALL UNDER REVIEW
BY THE COURT NOW IS A NON
STRICT LAW FOR NORTH CAROLINA.
THIS BILL WOULD REQUIRE YOU TO
SHOW A FORM OF ID NOW YOU WON'T
HAVE TO GET A NEW ID USED ONLY
FOR VOTING.
THAT MEANS YOU'D HAVE SOME TIME
TO SORT OUT A VOTER ID IF YOU
GO TO THE POLL TO PROVE YOU ARE
WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE.
BUT IF YOU WANTED TO GET A
VOTER PHOTO ID CARD IT WOULD BE
FREE FOR YOU.
HERE ARE THE ACCEPTABLE FORMS
OF ID THAT CAN BE USED A
PASSPORT IN NORTH CAROLINA
DRIVER'S LICENSE, A STATE VOTER
PHOTO ID CARD IF YOU HAVE ONE A
TRIBAL ID CARD, STUDENT CARD
EMPLOYEE CARD ISSUED BY A STATE
OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITY SUCH
AS A CHARTER SCHOOL YOU CAN
ALSO SHOW A DRIVER'S LICENSE
FROM ANOTHER STATE IF YOU
REGISTERED WITHIN 90 DAYS OF AN
UPCOMING ELECTION ALL OF THESE
IDS MUST BE VALID IF IT'S
EXPIRED, THE EXPIRATION DATE
HAS TO BE LESS THAN A YEAR OLD
A MILITARY ID, VETERAN'S ID OR
ANY EXPIRED ID FOR SOMEONE 65
AND OLDER IS ALSO ACCEPTABLE IF
THOSE IDS ARE EXPIRED >> NOW >>
THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS TO
PROVIDING AN ID TO VOTE.
THEY INCLUDE RELIGIONS THAT
WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO BE
PHOTOGRAPHED IF YOU DON'T HAVE
AN ID BECAUSE OF A NATURAL
DISASTER.
IF YOUR ID WAS LOST OR STOLEN
OR SOME OTHER KIND OF ISSUE IS
KEEPING YOU FROM GETTING A
VALID ID SUCH AS NO
TRANSPORTATION, FAMILY
RESPONSIBILITIES, WORK SCHEDULE
AND ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
NOW YOU WOULD HAVE TO FILL OUT
A FORM EXPLAINING THE SITUATION
IF YOU FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY
>> THERE IS ANOTHER VOTER LAW
THAT LEADERS ARE REVIEWING THE
VOTER LITERACY TEST.
MAYBE YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE
HAD THAT REQUIREMENT IN THE
STATE RIGHT.
SOME LAWMAKERS WANT TO DO AWAY
WITH THE LITERACY TEST BACK IN
MARCH A STATE HOUSE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY ON
A BIPARTISAN MEASURE THAT WOULD
LET VOTERS DECIDE IF THE
LITERACY TEST STAYS OR GOES.
THE CURRENT CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT SAYS ANYONE WHO WANTS
TO REGISTER TO VOTE MUST BE
ABLE TO READ AND WRITE ANY
SECTION OF THE CONSTITUTION IN
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
THE LAW WAS ADDED TO THE STATE
CONSTITUTION IN NINETEEN
HUNDRED BUT THE FEDERAL VOTING
RIGHTS ACT OF NINETEEN SIXTY
FIVE MADE LITERACY TEST ILLEGAL
IN SOUTHERN STATES.
HOWEVER, NORTH CAROLINA
LAWMAKERS DEFEATED AMENDMENTS
TO REMOVE THE RULE IN NINETEEN
SEVENTY.
THIS YEAR'S BILL NEEDS TO CLEAR
TWO MORE HURDLES BEFORE IT
REACHES THE HOUSE FLOOR.
THE BILL IS STILL ON THE
COMMITTEE'S PLANNER AND