Taking It To The Courts: Voter Identification Laws In North Carolina

For over two-hundred years, the United States of America has personified itself as a world-wide protector of democracy and equality. Yet, at home, the United States has struggled to protect its own citizens’ basic democratic right -- the right to vote. The U.S. was founded on the concept that individuals have a right to represent themselves in their own government; the right to vote awards citizens this power. Conversely, throughout history, both the federal and state governments have continually placed limitations on an individual’s right to vote. These historic restrictions have been challenged to protect the right to vote. Today, voters face a new type of restraint -- voter identification laws. Like the historic limitations placed on voting, the legality of voter identification laws has repeatedly been challenged in the nation’s courts. One law that has been challenged is North Carolina’s identification law -- HB 589 / S.L. 2013-381. Since 2013, HB 589 has faced various lawsuits and has even made it onto the docket of the Supreme Court of the United States. An analysis of NC’s voter identification law will provide insight into the motive(s) behind the passage of HB589 and the impact it has on North Carolina’s electorate.