Judges Strike Down North Carolina Voter ID Law Citing ‘Discriminatory Purpose’

They noted that they did not find that any individual lawmaker supporting the voter-ID law “harbors any racial animus or hatred towards African American voters,” but rather that the legislature’s Republican majority targeted those voters because they were more likely to be Democrats.

In a dissenting opinion, Judge Nathaniel Poovey wrote that the evidence presented during the three-week trial did not support a finding that the state legislature “acted with racially discriminatory intent.” He noted that the measure was a bipartisan one “that was supported along the way by multiple African American legislators.”

Allison Riggs, co-executive director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, a group representing the plaintiffs in Friday’s suit, and pro bono counsel Andrew J. Ehrlich said the ruling sends “a strong message that racial discrimination will not be tolerated.”

“Today’s ruling striking down North Carolina’s latest unconstitutional photo voter ID law is a testament to the overwhelming evidence, including compelling stories of disenfranchisement from voters themselves, which highlighted how the state’s Republican-controlled legislature undeniably implemented this legislation to maintain its power by targeting voters of color,” they said in a statement.

The case will move to a federal court and on up the ladder until it reaches the Supreme Court. The ruling may not come in time for the primaries for the 2022 election, but it should come down before the general election.

Since the plaintiffs in the case were not able to prove bias on the Republican’s part, the case gets tossed by virtue of that alone. As the case moves along, the defendants should produce evidence that Voter ID laws do not suppress the vote.

If I were Black, I would be insulted when Democrats argue that I am not as capable as whites to register and vote.

\Ami Horowitz talked to white students at Berkeley and then he went to New York City and talked to Black voters. This video is quite informative: