Black Lives Matter.
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Covenant Partners
    • Issue Statements
    • Governing Board
  • Programs
    • Ecumenical Immigration Alliance
      • Ideas for Action
      • Sign Our Statement
      • The NC Sanctuary Coalition
      • Immigration Bible Study
      • Contact
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative Pledge
      • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Racial Justice
    • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Public Education
    • NC Sanctuary Coalition
    • Farmworkers
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Christian Unity
    • Peace
    • NC No Torture
  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
  • Donate
  • Council Store
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Hide Search

Voter ID Showdown Looms

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 20, 2013 · 1 Comment

Click here to sign up to receive the Raleigh Report in your inbox

With the end of the 2013 legislative session in sight, Republicans in the General Assembly are making a final push to adopt photo identification as a requirement for voting.

The Senate Rules Committee is expected early next week to consider a revised and in some respects toughened version of a voter ID bill that passed the House two months ago. That would set the stage for negotiations between the two chambers on final terms of a measure that could be enacted before adjournment. Legislative leaders want to conclude the session within a week or so, once a new state budget is approved.

The voter ID effort is portrayed by the legislature’s majority Republicans as intended to counter the possibility of fraud at the polls. Opponents say concerns about fraud are overblown, and that the real aim is to cut down on the number of votes cast by people who might not have the necessary photo IDs and who tend to lean Democratic.

This has been an issue of concern for the N.C. Council of Churches because affected voters also likely would be among the poor or otherwise vulnerable – people who especially cannot afford to have their voices muffled during elections.

Tightening up

Under House Bill 589 as approved by the House on April 24, with unanimous Republican support, several types of photo ID would be acceptable. They would include not only official documents such as driver’s licenses, special ID cards issued to those who don’t drive, military IDs and passports, but also public college student IDs, private sector employee ID cards, IDs issued to employees of local governments and IDs issued to welfare recipients.

The proposed Senate substitute for the bill would narrow the acceptable forms of photo identification to these:

— A North Carolina driver’s license, including a learner’s permit or a provisional license.

— A special identification card for nonoperators.

— A U.S. passport.

— A U.S. military ID card.

— A federal Veterans Identification Card for use at Veterans Administration medical facilities.

— A tribal enrollment card issued by a federally or North Carolina-recognized tribe.

— A driver’s license or nonoperators ID card issued by another state, the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory or commonwealth, but only if the voter had registered to vote here within 90 days of the election.

Opponents focus on the omission of college student IDs from the list in arguing that the Senate requirements would target a group that has boosted Democratic candidates such as President Obama.

Bob Hall, executive director of the election watchdog group Democracy North Carolina, said in a written statement:

“The Senate bill takes a double swipe at college students, making it harder for them to vote. It refuses to accept student IDs from any college; the House at least accepts those from the UNC and community college systems. And it restricts the use of an out-of-state driver’s license to 90 days from the day of becoming a North Carolina registered voter; the House accepts the out-of-state driver’s licenses as a legitimate government-issued photo ID. These are unnecessary, mean-spirited changes that target and punish college students who want to participate in the civic life of their college community.”

Hall also criticized the bill’s method of dealing with a voter who is allowed to cast a provisional ballot:

“The Senate version keeps a House provision that will make the North Carolina law one of the most restrictive in the nation – harsher than the ones in Florida, Idaho, Michigan and several other states with a photo ID requirement. Those states allow the voter who lacks or forgets to bring the photo ID to sign an attestation under penalty of perjury and, in some cases, provide an identifying number, such as a birth date or Social Security number, that the board of elections can verify before counting the ballot. The proposed N.C. law would make that voter come back another day and show the correct ID to have their provisional ballot count.”

Non-existent problem

The bill allows for state issuance of special ID cards to voters who don’t otherwise have one of the required forms of ID, and in some cases the special cards may be issued free of charge. Most of the people likely to be affected would be those who don’t have driver’s licenses – often among the state’s poorer and/or older residents. The state would bear an expense in issuing the special IDs, and the inconvenience of having to obtain one likely would deter some people from voting. On the whole, those are people whose votes tend to help Democrats more than Republicans.

Any voter fraud is unacceptable, as it devalues votes honestly cast and can even twist an election’s outcome. But North Carolina has not experienced a pattern of fraud at the polls, and specifically has not seen any pattern of voter impersonation, which a photo ID rule might be expected to deter.

The push for photo ID laws has become a national Republican priority, born of frustration over President Obama’s successive victories and playing to suspicions some hold about immigrants.

Anyone who commits voter fraud, however, subjects himself or herself to felony charges, and the number of alleged cases has been minuscule. North Carolina’s voter ID backers are following their party’s national game plan. But if they succeed, all they will have achieved is making elections less inclusive of voices they’d rather not hear.

— Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Immigration, Race/Ethnicity

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

About Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Much goes on in North Carolina's state capital that's important to the Council of Churches. I'm glad to have a chance to help follow the action, transitioning from my career with The News & Observer of Raleigh, where I retired in 2012 as editorial page editor. I'm originally from Virginia but have lived in Cary so long I remember the Kildaire Farm barn.

Read more of my commentary here.

Reader Interactions

More Like This

Election Machinery in High Gear
Churches’ Watchwords: Every Vote Counts!
Raleigh Report – March 25, 2019

Comments

  1. AvatarFrank Burns says

    July 22, 2013 at 10:17 am

    This is a very good initiative for the State of NC to eliminate the risk of voter fraud. Everyone shows photo IDs routinely from cashing checks to boarding an airline so there is no problem in showing them to vote. The organization Democracy NC is a biased organization for the left and his comments should therefore be placed in that light. Everyone is entitled to vote, but they get only one vote.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anonymous comments or comments that target individuals will not be posted (please include your first and last name). All comments must be on topic and respectful. Comments will not be posted until they have been reviewed by a moderator. Comments do not reflect the positions of the NC Council of Churches.

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Facebook

Partners in Health and Wholeness

Featured

Voter ID Showdown Looms

Latest Tweets

Just last week, our Governing Board adopted a resolution calling for the removal of Confederate symbols in public squares. As people of faith & conscience, we believe such monuments are a constant reminder of prejudice against black and brown people. >> ncchurches.org/2021/… pic.twitter.com/iGCX…

About a day ago

"Amanda Gorman in her inauguration poem 'The Hill We Climb' begins with the lines: 'When day comes we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?'" Read more of this 2nd Sunday lenten reflection from Elizabeth Brewington >> ncchurches.org/2021/… pic.twitter.com/pgge…

About 2 days ago

"Perhaps it’s the pandemic that offers a fitting analogy to the condition of our politics as Americans try to recover from the trauma of Jan. 6 – when we came dangerously close to the onset of an anti-democratic Trump-ocracy." Read more from Steve Ford >> ncchurches.org/2021/…

About 2 days ago

FACT: Countries where maternal mortality rates have significantly dropped (~ -50%) in the past few decades (e.g., France, Germany, Sweden), have generous paid leave laws. #BlackHistoryMonth #Paidleave #BlackHealth pic.twitter.com/PgWW…

About 3 days ago

Call your Member of Congress and tell them paid leave is crucial to public health and economic recovery. Text paidleave (one word) to 844-955-2880 or visit bit.ly/39PWQde to begin. #AmericanRescuePlan #PaidLeave #BlackHealth

About 3 days ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

Dr. Satcher questioned the structures that have upheld health disparities in our communities. By laying the foundation for this work, we can continue taking meaningful action towards promoting a society where we can all thrive. #BlackHistoryMonth @HHSGov @Surgeon_General pic.twitter.com/zrw2…

About 2 days ago

Amen! #MindfulTogether twitter.com/cornerpr…

About 2 days ago

RT @MAHECwnc There has never been a better time to quit smoking and vaping. Protect your health by keeping your lungs healthy! #quitlinenc #covid19 #asheville pic.twitter.com/bKlC…

About 2 days ago

Check out this new resource from @DrugPolicyOrg challenging us to dig deeper and work together to uproot the drug war. uprootingthedrugwar.… #harmreduction #mindfultogether

About 3 days ago

Dr. Julian's work was instrumental to the public health community. We carry his passion as we continue reckoning with our past so that we may continue building the beloved community. Learn more about Dr. Julian's legacy at pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ju…. #BlackHistoryMonth @novapbs pic.twitter.com/JJsm…

About 3 days ago

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @greenthechurch Be sure to read Green The Church's COO Kim Noble's op ed, "#EnvironmentalJustice in Focus this #BlackHistoryMonth", in the Texas Metro News! @Kimrenay22 #Austin #DFW #Houston #Texas #SanAntonio #EJ ow.ly/mOtw50DGQnN pic.twitter.com/IPOO…

About 2 days ago

RT @ActionAidUSA To build a truly just, equitable & sustainable world, we need to fight for a new #socialcontract. That means: ✔️ Defending democracy ✔️ Fighting for climate justice ✔️ Building equitable food systems ✔️ Supporting women’s leadership. Learn more: bit.ly/2M8xT40 pic.twitter.com/fEWv…

About 2 days ago

RT @interfaithpower IPL is proud to be a signer on this letter. The U.S. must provide bold and socially just leadership to protect our communities from the impacts of climate change, including the threats to our economy- @sbhendershot twitter.com/RealBank…

About 2 days ago

RT @interfaithpower "This is all of our country, this is our mother. It's difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land" - @DebHaalandNM with a powerful reminder of what she believes in. Her passion is exactly what we need right now; the Senate must #ConfirmHaaland! #ConfirmClimate

About 2 days ago

RT @EPA EPA is proud to join our agency partners as we tackle the climate crisis and build a healthier, cleaner, more equitable future for all. Let’s do this! whitehouse.gov/brief…

About 4 days ago

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

Copyright © 2021 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine