RALEIGH – The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and Equality North Carolina today sent Governor Roy Cooper a letter urging him to veto Senate Bill 824, which would create a new statewide requirement for voters to show certain forms of photo ID before casting an in-person ballot. State voters in November approved amending the state constitution to require photo ID to vote, but the details of the proposal were left to be implemented by state lawmakers.
In the letter, the ACLU-NC and Equality NC urge Gov. Cooper to veto the proposal because its will disproportionately affect Black and transgender voters, because it was enacted by a lame-duck legislature instead of newly elected representatives chosen by the same voters who approved the photo ID requirement, and because the legislation does not include any provisions that would fund efforts to implement or educate voters about the new law.
“SB 824 has been hastily enacted by a lame-duck legislature without sufficient funding and will create harmful barriers that will make it more difficult for eligible voters across the state, especially people of color and transgender voters, to participate in our democracy,” the groups wrote to Cooper.