TO THE EDITOR:
The DTH editorial “A vote of confidence” (Mar. 17) endorsing the GOP House Bill 351 misleadingly opens with a list of commonplace activities that require a photo ID, like buying alcohol and checking out a library book. Voting, however, is nothing like buying tobacco or driving a car; voting is not a market transaction — it’s a constitutional right everyone holds independent of purchasing power, a right protected by the 15th, 17th, 24th, and 26th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and Article VI of the N.C. Constitution.
DTHThe DTH also completely ignored the financial impact of the bill. The Institute for Southern Studies concluded in February a voter ID law could cost N.C. as much as $20 million to implement. With a $3.7 billion budget gap, our state cannot afford a law aimed a problem that doesn’t exist — in 2010, out of 2,700,383 votes cast, a whopping 21 cases of potential voter fraud were reported according to State Board of Elections.
Travis Crayton
Renee Sullender
Vice Presidents
UNC Young Democrats
