NCGA Overrides Veto of Discriminatory ID Law, Democracy NC Responds

DURHAM, N.C. (12/19/2018) — On Wednesday, North Carolina lawmakers overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 824, legislation that provides the details of a new strict photo identification requirement to vote in person in North Carolina. The NC House provided the decisive votes, 72-40, to make the legislation law.

Democracy North Carolina Executive Director Tomas Lopez released the following statement in response, criticizing lawmakers’ veto override of legislation he said will “burden eligible North Carolinians’ access to the ballot,” and previewing the work ahead to protect the state’s voters.

“[T]his is a last-ditch effort to shape our voting rules without hearing from those affected.” –Tomas Lopez, Democracy NC

“With today’s veto override of Senate Bill 824, lame duck North Carolina lawmakers have enabled a strict photo ID mandate to vote that will unnecessarily burden eligible North Carolinians’ access to the ballot. This poorly-funded legislation’s complicated requirements and hasty implementation deadlines will impact real voters—especially communities of color and those most marginalized in our politics. Lawmakers could have reasonably waited to act until their duly-elected successors were seated. They did not: this is a last-ditch effort to shape our voting rules without hearing from those affected. Our collective work now turns to mitigating this law’s harms, especially in communities that have seen first-hand how voting restrictions discourage participation and damage the integrity of the voting process.”