AP16:104
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2016
CONTACT: Sam Mahood
(916) 653-6575
Secretary of State Padilla Issues Statement on Recent Voter ID Laws Overturned by Courts
SACRAMENTO – A federal appeals court has overturned a 2013 North Carolina law requiring voters to show ID at the polls. This ruling follows court decisions over the past two weeks to strike down restrictive voter ID laws in Texas and Wisconsin.
Per the Charlotte Observer:
“The ruling prohibits North Carolina from requiring photo identification from voters in future elections, including the November 2016 general election, restores a week of early voting and preregistration for 16- and 17-year-olds, and ensures that same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting will remain in effect.”
Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article92595012.html
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla issued the following statement on these court rulings.
“Today’s ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in North Carolina is a big win for voting rights. Eliminating restrictive voter ID laws and restoring measures that provide more options for voters to register and cast a ballot will strengthen our democracy. In California, we are on the cusp of enacting same-day voter registration, preregistration for 16- and 17-year-olds, and implementing the New Motor Voter program to seamlessly register eligible citizens who visit the DMV. I am also sponsoring legislation, Senate Bill 450, to modernize elections in California and greatly expand early voting opportunities.”
“While recent court rulings in Wisconsin and Texas are a welcome step in the right direction, they also underscore the urgent need to restore key sections of the federal Voting Rights Act that can help prevent such restrictive laws from seeing the light of day. Elections officials’ top priority must focus on expanding access to the ballot box, not constructing barriers to participation that lock out working families, young people, and communities of color.”
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