House Overrides Cooper Veto; Voter ID Legislation Becomes Law | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal.

Carolina Journal photo by Kari Travis: Above. Click image to expand.
    The N.C. House voted 72-40 Wednesday to override Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of Senate Bill 824, legislation implementing a constitutional amendment mandating voters present approved state-approved photo identification. The Senate's vote Tuesday was 32-13, so the measure will become law.

    Debate in the House broke along partisan lines. Republicans argued that the legislation honored the demand made by 55 percent of voters to require photo ID at voting places or for absentee balloting.

    Democrats said the types of ID allowed were too restrictive and would impede minorities and other low-income citizens from voting.

    The debate grew testy at times, with Republicans and Democrats arguing about which party was more sensitive to civil rights, and when.

    The bill offers several options for voters. Driver's licenses, military IDs, student IDs from community colleges and public or private universities, tribal enrollment cards, state employee IDs, and free, state-issued voter ID cards are just a few examples.