Gov. McCrory signs voter ID bill, lawsuits filed

From the Raleigh News & Observer:

Gov. Pat McCrory on Monday signed into law a bill requiring voters to produce a photo ID when they go to the polls, and it was immediately met with legal challenges in federal court questioning its constitutionality.

The new law brings sweeping changes to the state’s election process by reducing the early-voting period by a week, abolishing same-day voter registration and ending straight-party voting.

North Carolina becomes one of 34 states with some form of voter ID law. The voter ID provision goes into effect for the 2016 election.

Now the fight moves from the political arena to the courts.

Just hours after McCrory signed the bill, two separate lawsuits challenging the law were filed in federal court in Greensboro. A third lawsuit is expected to be filed in state court Tuesday. Congressman G.K. Butterfield also asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to “take swift and decisive action by using any legal mechanisms” to protect North Carolina’s voting rights.

Read more here.

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