Gov. Pat McCrory and members of the N.C. General Assembly should take the U.S. Justice Department lawsuit as an opportunity to refine the voter ID law instead of acting defensively in an effort to save face.
The lawsuit will conclude whether or not this law, arguably politically motivated, is discriminatory.
The law, a subject of heated controversy among the state’s citizens, is one of the most restrictive voter ID laws in the nation. If North Carolina is going to be the national leader in voter fraud prevention, it should make sure that it is not overstepping its constitutional bounds.
While every sensible measure that hinders voter fraud should be considered, North Carolina leaders must be open to national input, particularly after passing such a controversial law.
This law has drawn out passionate critics and supporters across the state, and hopefully the U.S. Justice Department can help the state find a middle ground.
This is a valuable chance for voices outside of the state to contribute to a productive dialogue on the issue.
Voter fraud isn’t rampant nationwide, so North Carolina should look to more moderate preventative measures for acceptable laws.
North Carolina leaders should welcome this as an opportunity to re-evaluate the law and try to make it acceptable for a larger majority of the state’s citizens.
