North Carolina: voter ID becomes law

Republican governor signs bill that requires photo evidence at polling booths, which critics say targets Democrat supporters

In North Carolina, the governor signed a law to require government-issued photo IDs at the polls and shorten early voting. That idea drew criticism from a leading civil rights organization and other groups.

Republicans lawmakers who backed the measure said it was meant to prevent voter fraud, which they allege is both rampant and undetected in North Carolina

North Carolina, a state with a past history of centrist politics, has drawn national attention since the Republican-led legislature that took power in 2010 pushed through the election law changes in the final days of the 2013 session.

The package would take effect in 2016. It requires voters to present government-issued photo IDs at the polls and shortens early voting by a week, from 17 days to 10

Other states with Republican-controlled legislatures have enacted similar voter identification requirements. Supporters say the measures are intended to restrict voter fraud. Opponents say they are calculated to suppress turnout by reliable Democratic constituencies who are less likely to have government-issued photo IDs.

The US attorney general, Eric Holder, had said in July that the US justice department would challenge a new voter identification law in Texas and suggested it was closely watching developments in North Carolina and other states.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/13/north-carolina-voter-id-law