The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles recently began to offer a free government ID to voters who lack an acceptable form of voting identification, but this is not enough to counteract the suppressing provisions of the state’s voter ID law.
Since becoming available to the public on Jan. 2, citizens statewide have requested just 83 such ID’s.
Providing voters with a free form of identification is an effective response to those who initially opposed the bill, but voters should not be satisfied with this minimal reform.
Having a valid government photo ID will not be necessary for voters until 2016, but other, more limiting provisions of the law will go into effect this year.
Among these provisions are reductions in early voting opportunities, the termination of out-of-precinct voting on Election Day and the elimination of straight-party voting.
Addressing the restrictions posed by requiring voters to show identification is a step in the right direction, but it is equally, if not more, important that these other provisions be addressed as well.
In fact, these provisions are so restrictive that the U.S. Department of Justice is suing North Carolina over the basic constitutionality of this law.
A study conducted by the NC DMV found that voter ID requirements affect more than 300,000 North Carolinians. The DMV has done its job in terms of working to offset one of the law’s main flaws, but it is important for citizens and organizations to collaborate and ensure that those who are negatively impacted by the law have their voices heard and their votes counted.
The United States was founded on the idea that everyone should have the right to vote, and it is vital that North Carolinians fight to bring reform to legislation that suppresses voting rights.
