RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The state Supreme Court is reconsidering a case that could impact how you vote in North Carolina.
A law that would require voters to present a photo ID is once again in front of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Late last year — when the Court was controlled by Democrats — justices determined the law was unconstitutional saying it discriminates against Black voters.
Now a Republican majority sits on the Supreme Court, and they are hearing the case again.
Arguments centered around the issue of discrimination.
“This law does bear more heavily on African American voters because they’re more likely to lack a qualifying ID, more likely to face difficulties acquiring an ID,” argued Paul Brachman, attorney for the plaintiffs, who challenged the law.
“The law does not bespeak discriminatory intent, racially discriminatory intent, to enact a voter ID law that allows everyone to vote,” said Pete Patterson, attorney for the legislative defendants.
Justice Anita Earls, one of two Democrats on the court questioned whether the case should be reconsidered at all.
“Help me understand when any case would be final because in every case there are two sides to the argument, and the side that loses believes we misapprehended the law and got it wrong,” Earls said.
North Carolina Senate President pro tempore, Phil Berger, said the court is doing the right thing in taking up the issue again.
“There are a lot of questions about whether or not the court did the right thing last year,” he said. “Hopefully this court can rectify that.”
But, Jeff Loperfido with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, who’s been fighting this law since 2018 disagrees.
“All that has changed between this case and a decision from last year is the makeup of the court being changed — the partisan composition,” he said. “The facts have not changed; the law has not changed.”
It’s not clear when the court will reach a decision in the case.
