North Carolina just enacted a voting law that Hillary Clinton described as, “The greatest hits of voter suppression." It reduces early voting, and has strict new ID requirements - all factors intended to suppress votes in Democratic areas.
Early voting is needed by minimum wage workers - typically Democrats - who often cannot leave their jobs to vote on election day. Lower income people - typically Democrats - often do not have cars, and don't have photo ID drivers licenses, leaving them unable to vote when such photo ID is required. College students - yep, Democrats - now will not be able to use their college photo ID to register as a voter. As if that's not enough, this law also does away with voter registration during early voting.
Republican governors across the U.S. keep trotting out false claims about the need for such measures in order to protect against voter fraud, but the handful of such fraud cases - totaling a whopping .00174 percent - don't bear this out. What is real is that this excuse has allowed Republican-controlled states to block millions of Americans from having a voice on election day, and that the voters who are blocked - the poor, students, people of color - are overwhelmingly Democratic. Such laws are nothing more than a sure-fire way to rig the vote in favor of Republicans.
This is the first time in a century that Republicans have controlled all branches of North Carolina’s state government, and they have not been shy about abusing their new power. The NY Times recently warned, “Republicans are systematically dismantling the state's reputation for progress and tolerance.” This voting law may be their most harmful law yet.
Let North Carolina know the country is watching. Let their governor know that he and his Republican lawmakers have finally gone too far. Demand that they they do the American thing, and let all qualified Americans vote. Demand that they repeal this terrible voting law.
