LULAC Celebrates Win for Voting Rights, Court Strikes Down North Carolina Voter ID Law

July 29, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit found the North Carolina voter ID law unconstitutional. In rendering its decision, the 4th Circuit specifically found that the Republican led legislature passed this law with discriminatory intent, the purpose of which was to disenfranchise African Americans and Latinos.

The result of the court's decision is to reverse laws which had required voters to show identification and eliminated the opportunity for same-day registration. In addition, for 16 and 17 year old individuals, the law prohibited a week of early voting and preregistration.

"Today's decision eliminates those discriminatory restrictions and thus, permits all eligible voters to participate in November's election," said LULAC National President Roger C. Rocha, Jr. "The 4th Circuit decision is yet another high profile rejection of a cynical political strategy designed to prevent minorities from exercising their right to vote. Not only is the strategy unconstitutional, but it is unpatriotic. We call upon all politicians to reject such efforts and instead, pass legislation that encourages all qualified individuals to vote."