Voter ID Constitutional Amendment Bill Filed, Would Be Decided By Voters Fall 2018

RALEIGH – House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland), with other Republican House members, filed House Bill 1092 Thursday which would present voters with a choice to amend the North Carolina Constitution to require photo identification to vote. Photo I.D. would only be not be required for absentee voting.

“(4) Photo identification for voting in person. Every person offering to vote in person shall present photo identification before voting in the manner prescribed by law.”

The act is effective when it becomes law, meaning that the ‘For or Against’ question would appear on November’s general election ballot.

To get there it would have to earn three fifths support from both chambers. Since legislative leadership has indicated its intent to adjourn the session by the end of this month the bill will have to face votes on the bill soon.

While the amendment itself is general, a separate bill will have to be passed to spell out details of the law. Speaker Moore has said that Republicans will look to other states with similar laws for guidance.

Only 16 states do NOT have some form of photo identification requirements to vote. It’s certainly not a new issue in the Old North State, either.

Republican majorities passed a voter I.D. bill in 2013 during the early days of Republican Gov. Pat McCrory’s administration. It was labeled racist by the Left, specifically the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, which then challenged the law in courts (surprise).

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals played right to the Left’s narrative, ruling that the bill targeted black voters, because they were less likely to have identification, and therefore violated the Voting Rights Act.

Yet somehow 34 other states have forms of voter I.D. and all the evidence suggests those laws don’t suppress the vote. Actually, in some cases, black voter turn out INCREASED after the implementation of voter I.D.!

The purely political judicial decision left voter I.D. legislation dead in the water, and Rev. William Barber and the Merry Gang of Leftists rejoiced at their media aided victory against Republicans. The requirement wasn’t sunk, however, as evidenced by the constitutional amendment option being employed.

The Left, which is as far Left as ever, will certainly challenge even the passage of a constitutional amendment. While putting the issue to voters adds an all important layer of legitimacy, it might not save it from activist Judges that buy into the racism narrative.

Similarly, North Carolina passed a Traditional Marriage Amendment by a healthy majority only to see it negated by federal court decisions.

Hopefully, though, common sense will prevail among the voters, and then on the bench.

Speaker Moore and other sponsors spoke of the plain old common sense that voter I.D. makes, and the importance of insuring integrity at the ballot box, upon announcing the bill.

Republicans also shared more than half a dozen polls that show a majority of voters support the requirement.

“This commonsense measure to secure the integrity of our elections system is supported by the vast majority of North Carolinians who know protecting our democracy should be one of lawmakers’ highest priorities. The voters of North Carolina deserve a chance to weigh-in on securing their own rights in the democratic process, and will have the final say on strengthening election protections.”

Polls Show Strong & Consistent Public Support for Voter ID Laws in North Carolina and across the United States 

• 69% of North Carolinians support voter ID in February 2018 Civitas Poll
• 70% of likely U.S. voters support voter ID in August 2017 Rasmussen Poll
• 68% of North Carolinians support voter ID in May 2017 Civitas Poll
• 80% of registered U.S. voters support voter ID in August 2016 Gallup Poll
• 70% of registered U.S. voters support voter ID in May 2014 Fox News Poll
• 73% of North Carolinians support voter ID in March 2012 Elon Poll
• 75% of likely U.S. voters support voter ID in June 2011 Rasmussen Poll

It’s hard to argue with those numbers, precisely because it’s hard to argue with the logic of requiring someone to present a simple photo confirmation of who they say they are when engaging in something as important as voting.

It may be a few days before a vote is held, but in the mean time you can be sure that the manufactured outrage train on the Left start chugging along full steam ahead.