FOR NOW

Federal Court Will Temporarily Block New North Carolina Voter ID Law

While a lawsuit against the state goes forward.

A federal court in North Carolina will block a new voter identification law with a photo ID requirement from taking effect while a lawsuit against the state goes forward. Judge Loretta Biggs said her official ruling will come next week but that officials had been planning “a very large statewide mailing” campaign to inform residents about the law and she wanted to keep them from sending the pamphlets out. Leaders from the state’s NAACP, which filed the lawsuit, said Friday that they expect the voter ID measure to be blocked through the 2020 primary elections in March but that it isn’t yet clear how it will be resolved for the November general election. “Unfortunately, this preliminary injunction is yet another example of judges legislating from the bench,” said Jeff Hauser, the communications director for the state’s Republican Party. “This action, if it is allowed to stand, will invalidate the votes of millions of North Carolinians who voted overwhelmingly to implement voter ID and strengthen the integrity of N.C. elections.”