You need photo identification to purchase alcohol or tobacco, to take the SAT, to board a plane, to drive a car and even to check out a library book, but not to vote. House Bill 351, Restore Confidence in Government, contains provisions that would require voters to present a photo ID at the polls.
If the legislation is amended to address concerns and accommodate individuals that need to get IDs then it would be a good step toward ensuring legitimacy in the North Carolina electoral process.
There are concerns about how a voter ID bill would affect some students and those who do not currently have government-issued photo identification.
As the bill is written now, student IDs issued by public universities and community colleges would count but identification cards from private institutions would not. This provision has the potential to affect nonresident students who move to North Carolina and want to vote here.
Members of the General Assembly should make sure that students who qualify to vote will be able to get ID cards so that they are not disenfranchised.
Students should also be aware that being registered to vote in more than one state constitutes voter fraud and that if they want to vote in North Carolina, they need to cancel registration in other locations.
Another group that could be negatively affected are the poor and the elderly, who are less likely to have photo ID. These groups should be able to get photo ID cards free of charge.
Without a voter ID requirement, committing voter fraud in North Carolina is relatively easy. Voter fraud will probably happen no matter what, but a voter ID requirement would constitute a substantial hurdle to those who might delegitimize an election.
Furthermore, the people of North Carolina overwhelmingly support the idea of a voter ID. A recent Civitas Institute poll of registered voters found that 83 percent support requiring a voter ID and 99 percent have identification that qualifies.
