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North Carolina GOP Still Trying to Keep Dems from the Polls
I noted last week that Republicans haven't backed off from their zeal for new voter-identification laws. In just the last three months, 55 new voting restrictions have been introduced in 30 states, with Republican lawmakers leading the charge. North Carolina is one of those states, and there, the GOP hasn't even tried to hide its push to keep Democratic voters from the polls. Chris Fitzsimon of NC Policy Watch explains:
"House Majority Leader Edgar Starnes has filed legislation that would shorten the length of time for early voting, prohibit voting on Sunday, abolish same-day registration at early voting sites, and end straight-ticket voting.
Republican leaders don't have anything close to a legitimate reason for the thinly-veiled attempt to manipulate the state's voting laws for their partisan advantage."
They used to claim that voter ID provisions were needed to solve the problem of widespread voter fraud. But House Speaker Thom Tillis all but admitted recently that fraud is not the reason for the voter ID bill, that it was instead about restoring the public's faith in the integrity of our elections.
In other words, we need a restrictive voter ID bill because people are worried about all the voter fraud that Republicans have been misleadingly claiming was happening in North Carolina.
What's more, as Fitzsimon notes, Majority Leader Starnes has also filed a bill that would loosen regulations for voting with absentee ballots. Two things are true about absentee voting: First, it's where experts agree voter fraud is most likely, and second, absentee voters are more likely to support Republican candidates.
"House Majority Leader Edgar Starnes has filed legislation that would shorten the length of time for early voting, prohibit voting on Sunday, abolish same-day registration at early voting sites, and end straight-ticket voting.
Republican leaders don't have anything close to a legitimate reason for the thinly-veiled attempt to manipulate the state's voting laws for their partisan advantage."
They used to claim that voter ID provisions were needed to solve the problem of widespread voter fraud. But House Speaker Thom Tillis all but admitted recently that fraud is not the reason for the voter ID bill, that it was instead about restoring the public's faith in the integrity of our elections.
In other words, we need a restrictive voter ID bill because people are worried about all the voter fraud that Republicans have been misleadingly claiming was happening in North Carolina.
What's more, as Fitzsimon notes, Majority Leader Starnes has also filed a bill that would loosen regulations for voting with absentee ballots. Two things are true about absentee voting: First, it's where experts agree voter fraud is most likely, and second, absentee voters are more likely to support Republican candidates.
https://prospect.org/article/north-carolina-gop-still-trying-keep-dems-polls
4 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
The voter ID bill has nothing to do with fraud and everything to do with keeping minorities and the poor from voting. Why not just go ahead and admit it. 
most affected by voter ID laws. 