North Carolina
5 years after a federal lawsuit, North Carolina voter ID trial is set to begin
Raleigh, N.C. — A federal lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s photo voter identification law is set to go to trial Monday, with arguments expected to focus on whether the requirement unlawfully discriminates against Black and Hispanic citizens or serves legitimate state interests to boost public confidence in elections.
The non-jury trial in Winston-Salem begins more than five years after the state NAACP and several local chapters sued over the voter ID law enacted by the Republican-dominated General Assembly in late 2018.
This litigation, along with similar lawsuits in state courts, delayed implementation of the requirement until last year’s municipal elections. The 1.8 million voters who cast ballots in the March primaries also had to comply. State election data showed fewer than 500 provisional ballots cast because of ID-related issues in the primary ultimately didn’t count.
The November general election — with races for president, governor and other statewide seats — could see turnout three times greater than the primary. And the nation’s ninth-largest state is a presidential battleground where statewide races are often close.
A favorable NAACP ruling from U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs could block the requirement in the fall. The trial is expected to last several days, with Biggs already signaling in a document that she won’t immediately rule from the bench.
The NAACP lawyers contend the voter ID requirement, along with two other voting-related provisions in the 2018 law, violate the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act in part because lawmakers enacted them with discriminatory intent.
In a pretrial brief, attorneys for the state and local chapters of the civil rights group cite data showing Black and Latino voters are more than twice as likely to lack a qualifying ID with a photo than white voters. They plan to bring in witnesses who will say they encountered voting problems in the March primary.
“Absent relief, thousands of North Carolinians will similarly have their right to vote unconstitutionally abridged,” the NAACP lawyers wrote. They also said evidence will show North Carolina lawmakers rushed through the legislation — mere weeks after voters approved a constitutional amendment mandating photo ID — without considering its impact on minority voters.
Attorneys representing Republican legislative leaders and State Board of Elections members defending the law in court said in briefs that the rules impose only a minimal burden on voters.
They point out that the law greatly expanded the number of qualifying IDs compared with what was approved in a 2013 voter ID law that federal judges struck down as discriminatory. Free IDs are provided by county election and Division of Motor Vehicles offices, and people lacking photo ID at the polls should have their votes count if they fill out an exception form or bring in their ID to election officials before the final tallies.
“The General Assembly enacted (the law) after the People of North Carolina mandated the legislature to create a voter ID law. The bipartisan legislation did not have a discriminatory intent, and Plaintiffs cannot overcome the presumption of legislative good faith,” lawyers for House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger wrote in a brief. Preventing voter fraud is also a legitimate state interest for the law, the attorneys wrote. Nationwide, however, voter identity fraud is rare.
Biggs, who was nominated to court by President Barack Obama, already has ruled frequently in this case.
In late 2019 she issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the law, saying it was tainted because the 2013 law had been struck down on similar grounds of racial bias. But the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed her decision, writing that she had put too much emphasis on the past conduct of the General Assembly when evaluating the 2018 law. When Biggs declined to allow Berger and Moore to join the lawsuit as defendants, they appealed, and the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately sided with them in 2022.
Biggs opened the door for a trial when the state Supreme Court determined the photo ID law comported with the state constitution.
Thirty-six states have laws requesting or requiring identification at the polls, 21 of which seek photo ID, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The Virginia Cavaliers escaped with a 17-16 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels, needing overtime to prevail. The Cavaliers stopped the Tar Heels on a two-point conversion, which would have given North Carolina the win if successful. However, running back Benjamin Hall was inches short of reaching the pylon.
North Carolina controlled the flow of the contest, but ultimately, three turnovers, including an interception in the end zone, proved to be too much for the Tar Heels to overcome.
Not only was it a missed opportunity for North Carolina, but it also prevented the Duke Blue Devils from making up ground, despite being on a bye week.
Keeping all of that in mind, here is how the result of this game affects the Blue Devils’ chances of qualifying for the ACC Championship game later in December.
Obviously, it was not the end result that the Blue Devils were hoping for, but there are certainly reasons to feel positive from Duke’s perspective.
For one, the Cavaliers looked quite vulnerable in this contest, as they were outgained by nearly 100 yards, took six sacks, and were overall completely inept offensively.
Quarterback Chandler Morris’ performance was quite concerning, as he completed 20-of-35 pass attempts for 200 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He threw errant passes all game, including two consecutive misses near the goal line that were rudimentary throws.
The win sends the Cavaliers to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play. However, watching this game, it is apparent that Virginia is not as good as its record.
Despite the victory furthering the Cavaliers’ control of their own destiny, Duke’s confidence should not waver when considering Virginia’s current position in the conference.
Virginia’s last three wins have come with a combined margin of victory of eight total points, which included a game-winning safety against Washington State last week and a game-clinching stop in overtime on Saturday against North Carolina.
Additionally, the Blue Devils will have their chance to take matters into their own hands when they host the Cavaliers on Nov. 15.
If Virginia plays remotely close to how it did on Saturday, unlike North Carolina, Duke will take advantage of every opportunity the Cavaliers present. Darian Mensah is light-years ahead of Gio Lopez, who was putrid, despite having ample opportunities to take control of the game.
Virginia was fortunate Lopez was the signal caller on the other side on Saturday. The junior quarterback attempted 5.8 yards per pass, and throwing two costly interceptions.
Duke is still within striking distance, and fortunately for the Blue Devils, they will have their opportunity to deal with Virginia themselves in a few weeks.
As always, make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE and following us on X (formerly Twitter) HERE
CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. – A man from North Carolina has been arrested and charged with damaging property at Lynchburg Regional Airport, according to the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.
Shortly after midnight Thursday, deputies found the suspect on airport grounds attempting to break through the glass doors to enter the building. Deputies approached and took him into custody without incident.
The suspect has been identified as 20-year-old Landen Ray Hayden of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Investigators determined that Hayden, who was intoxicated at the time, unlawfully entered airport property and caused significant damage. This included overturning several drums containing cleaning fluid used by airport staff in daily operations.
Hayden faces the following charges:
-
Felony property damage
-
Trespassing
-
Underage possession of alcohol
-
Public intoxication
-
Contaminating waterways
The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office is working closely with Lynchburg Regional Airport officials as the investigation continues.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office at 434-332-9574, Central Virginia Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900 or www.cvcrimestoppers.org, or submit a tip online at www.p3tips.com. Tips may remain anonymous, and information leading to an arrest could be eligible for a cash reward.
Copyright 2025 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – A freeze watch was issued on Wednesday for counties in Western North Carolina.
Officials said that the freeze watch was issued for Ashe, Avery, and Watauga counties along with southwest and west central Virginia, southeast West Virginia, and the northern mountains of North Carolina.
The freeze watch was expected to last through Friday morning, according to officials.
Temperatures were expected to reach as low as 28 degrees for Ashe, Avery, and Watauga counties.
Forecast –> Charlotte Metro to remain cool and dry through the weekend
Thursday and Friday morning will start in the 30s and low 40s for most across the area. Temperatures in the upper 20s are even possible in our mountain communities on Friday morning, prompting a freeze watch for those locations.
Copyright 2025 WBTV. All rights reserved.
Maui’s Kapalua Plantation Course reopening after closure for dry conditions
The Sawtooth Range’s Role in Shaping a Skier’s Family Life
Illinois State Police warning drivers to watch out for deer
Indiana State Police investigating fatal crash on I-70 in Indianapolis
The non-sports reason comedian Nate Bargatze picked BYU to win over Iowa State
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
PHOTOS: The making of Trump’s White House ballroom, a look at the construction progress
Trump meets Brazil’s Lula at ASEAN summit, touts ‘pretty good deals’
1 dead, 6 injured in shooting at Lincoln University homecoming festivities
Video: How Trump Is Getting Some Workers Paid Despite the Shutdown
Trump to jet off to Asia as North Korea fires ballistic missiles and China trade questions loom
-
New York3 days agoVideo: How Mamdani Has Evolved in the Mayoral Race
-
World6 days agoIsrael continues deadly Gaza truce breaches as US seeks to strengthen deal
-
News5 days agoVideo: Federal Agents Detain Man During New York City Raid
-
News5 days agoBooks about race and gender to be returned to school libraries on some military bases
-
Technology6 days agoAI girlfriend apps leak millions of private chats
-
Politics6 days agoTrump admin on pace to shatter deportation record by end of first year: ‘Just the beginning’
-
News6 days agoTrump news at a glance: president can send national guard to Portland, for now
-
Business6 days agoUnionized baristas want Olympics to drop Starbucks as its ‘official coffee partner’