Soft voter ID laws in North Carolina cause concern going into November

North Carolina is seeking to further strengthen voting laws, which should fill some of the loopholes that experts see in the current regulations on who can vote.

In November, North Carolina voters will vote to amend the state’s constitution to specify that only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote.

While photo identification is required, there are many different acceptable versions, including specific student or employee IDs. Andy Jackson, director of the Civitas Center for Public Integrity at the John Locke Foundation, said this is very problematic.

“While any voter ID law is better than nothing, North Carolina's voter ID law, as it is currently enforced, is softer than it should be,” Jackson said.

He pointed out that even if someone does not have photo identification, they would still be allowed to vote after filling out an affidavit.

“Another problem is that the State Board of Elections issued regulations stating that county election boards must accept provisional ballots from people without voter IDs who sign an affidavit even when a majority of the county board has grounds to believe the affidavit is false,” Jackson said.

That vote has to be unanimous.

As the North Carolina Board of Elections website states, “all voters will be allowed to vote with or without a photo ID.”

Jackson said that his major concern lies partly with a lack of oversight from the Elections Board.

“I worry that the State Board of Elections and county elections boards are not doing enough to remove duplicate voter registrations and are resisting citizen groups' attempts to point them out,” he said. “That is something the General Assembly can address.”

The state’s General Assembly did recently pass election-related laws requiring checks for address changes, stricter rules for mail-in voting, and the state entering into “data sharing agreements with other states to cross-check information on voter registration and voting records,” and the removal of “deceased persons” and “ineligible voters” from the voter list.

The laws went into effect on July 1, despite Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's attempt to veto them.

The proposed constitutional amendment will also solidify the state’s restrictions on noncitizens voting at a time when many Democrats are pushing for their "right to vote."

In the spring, a federal judge in North Carolina ruled that previous law restricting felons voting was unconstitutional, causing confusion over how that would affect the November election.

Yet, despite that ruling, felons are still not allowed to vote in the state, and could face consequences for registering to vote or voting.

"North Carolinians convicted of felonies who have not completed their sentences — including any jail or prison term, as well as any periods of probation, parole, or post-release supervision — are not permitted to register to vote or vote in the state,” said Patrick Gannon, public information director for the Board of Elections. “Those serving felony sentences who register or vote now may still be prosecuted.”

Despite his concerns, Jackson said he believes the elections are “reasonably secure” and that the state has “made some important strides toward election security” since 2020.

“I have not seen compelling evidence of data manipulation that would have affected the outcome of statewide elections,” he said.

Jackson also pointed out the recent controversies with the Board of Elections, including claims of partisanship, which has left many concerned about the motivation of the board’s decisions.

“The State Board of Elections recently voted not to certify the Justice for All Party after a targeted campaign by Democratic groups Clear Choice Action backed by the Elias Law Group and the North Carolina Democratic Party to stop them,” he said. “We can hardly be surprised when a partisan body behaves in partisan ways.”