The non-jury trial in Winston-Salem begins more than five years after the state NAACP and several local chapters sued over the voter ID law enacted by the Republican-dominated General Assembly in late 2018. This litigation, along with similar lawsuits in state courts, delayed implementation of the requirement until last year’s municipal elections. They point out that the law greatly expanded the number of qualifying IDs compared with what was approved in a 2013 voter ID law that federal judges struck down as discriminatory. “The General Assembly enacted (the law) after the People of North Carolina mandated the legislature to create a voter ID law. Biggs opened the door for a trial when the state Supreme Court determined the photo ID law comported with the state constitution.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 06, 2024 04:29 UTC