From the Desk of the Senator: Falsely hailed as a “voter ID bill,” this legislation is actually designed to impede voters’ ability to fulfill their constitutional rights and make it easier for large companies to influence elections. The bill: · Reduces early voting · Ends same-day registration · Ends straight-ballot voting · Ends early registration at DMVs and in High School civics classes · Allows unlimited corporate contributions to campaigns · Decreased financial disclosure requirements for campaigns In fact, only three pages of the 57-page bill pertained to voter ID. Along with requiring a photo ID, the bill disallows college-IDs and other forms of ID currently held by legal, registered North Carolina voters. Many of these restrictions would prohibit thousands of current legal, registered North Carolinians from voting. Additionally, these new measures are predicted to cause significantly longer voting times and long lines every year. It is estimated that the new restrictions will add 416,000 hours to the voting process for North Carolinians. “Tonight, Senate Republicans infringed upon the most fundamental of American rights: the ability to select a representative government. Already this session, Republicans have assailed middle class and working families. They’ve hurt small businesses, slashed public education, reduced access to healthcare, and greatly reduced rural communities’ ability to create jobs and maintain roads – all in order to give handouts to the top 1% and out-of-state corporations. They’ve disrespected and hurt the middle class. And tonight they’ve equally disrespected voters and greatly harmed the liberty of all North Carolinians. But they won’t succeed – voters across this great state won’t stand by and allow their voices to be suppressed,” said Senate Democratic Leader Martin Nesbitt.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 17:41:53 +0000
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