Federal judge upholds North Carolina's voter photo ID law

Courthouse News ^ | 3/26/26 | Sydney Haulenbeek

[CFW]

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (CN) — A federal judge shot down a seven-year case Thursday that claimed that North Carolina’s voter ID requirements target Black and Hispanic voters and are burdensome.

The North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and several of its chapters first claimed in 2018 that a law requiring photo ID to vote disproportionately impacts minority voters, arguing it violates section two of the Voting Rights Act and the 14th and 15th Amendments, imposing burdens on the right to vote that the state can’t justify.

The defendants, including Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger and former state Speaker of the House Tim Moore, contended that the law was carefully shaped after the voters passed a constitutional amendment requiring voter ID and isn’t discriminatory. The requirement is one of the most permissive in the nation, they argued, and the legislature chose to provide exemptions to the rule, allowing voters without ID to fill out an affidavit for their ballot to be counted.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs, a Barack Obama appointee who had previously issued a preliminary injunction halting the photo ID requirement from being used in the 2020 election, found in favor of the Republican defendants in her 134-page trial findings. Trial in the case wrapped up in 2024.

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TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: elections; lawfare; nc; photoid

[CFW]

After 7 years of endless Democrat lawsuits and 2 years after trial the judge finally agreed that requiring an ID to vote isn't discriminatory against minorities.

[doc maverick]

Finally a judge with principles who couldn’t be bought.

[cross_bearer_02]

the legislature chose to provide exemptions to the rule, allowing voters without ID to fill out an affidavit for their ballot to be counted.

Doesn’t a carve-out to allow a ballot to be counted without an ID being provided violate an amendment that requires valid ID before votes are counted? Can someone square this, please?

[SkyDancer]

If they can get a driver’s ID, then they can get a voter ID.

[ealgeone]

If they get taxpayer funded wealth transfers they have an ID.

[Organic Panic]

If ANYONE is too stupid or lazy to obtain a voter ID they should not be paying, period.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

"The North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and several of its chapters first claimed in 2018 that a law requiring photo ID to vote disproportionately impacts minority voters..."

They do everything but say "Our people is stupid."

[11th_VA]

Wow - hope for that senate seat now !!!

[Freedom4US]

The whole thing is absurd.

Leftists have made everything Tribal. They can never, ever, be forgiven for that.

[pacificus]

VICTORY!!!!

Eat it Dems...

Eat it Marc Elias!!!!

Bbbwwwaaahhhaaaa!!!!!

[17th Miss Regt]

They do everything but say "Our people is stupid."

Could be a bit different. Maybe they are opposing picture IDs because they think they don't ID blacks sufficiently. NAACP: "Our people all look alike, you know."

[reardensteel]

If someone can’t figure out how to acquire an ID they shouldn’t be voting.

[FrankRizzo890]

Elections are run by the states, (Waits patiently for the state to decide to ignore the ruling).

[Roadrunner383]

Courts have been allowing requirements for photo ID, restrictions on drop boxes, restrictions on issuing mail-in ballots. However, legislators have to get off their butts and pass reasonable laws that will stand up to court challenges (do their homework in other words) and that is a problem given the number of lazy politicians in office.