Judge upholds voter ID mandate

RALEIGH, N.C. — A federal judge on Monday upheld North Carolina’s voter identification law, delivering a clear victory to Republican leaders in this state who defended it as a safeguard against fraud.

The judge, Thomas Schroeder of U.S. District Court in Winston-Salem, wrote near the end of his 485-page opinion that “North Carolina has provided legitimate state interests for its voter ID requirement and electoral system.”

North Carolina’s voter identification law requires people to display one of six credentials, such as a driver’s license or passport, before casting a ballot. Those who cannot may complete a “reasonable impediment declaration” and cast a provisional ballot.

Although critics said the voter identification standard was a cloaked effort to disenfranchise black and Hispanic voters, Schroeder dismissed such arguments. The U.S. Justice Department, the NAACP chapter in North Carolina and voters had challenged the law.

“Plaintiffs’ contention that North Carolina’s requirement is one of the strictest in the country ignores the reasonable impediment exception,” Schroeder, an appointee of President George W. Bush, wrote. “If North Carolina is an outlier, it is because it is one of only two states in the nation to accommodate voters who wish to vote in person but for whatever reason face an impediment to acquiring qualifying ID.”

Critics of the law said that they would appeal the ruling.

“The Legislature sought to disturb the levers of power in North Carolina, ensuring only a select few could participate in the democratic process,” Penda Hair of the Advancement Project said in a statement. “This fight is not over.”