Special to Iredell Free News
RALEIGH — The State Board of Elections on Tuesday unanimously approved temporary rules related to the implementation of the photo ID requirement for voting in North Carolina elections.
Voters will be asked to show photo ID when voting in person and via absentee ballot, starting with this fall’s municipal elections. The agency is proposing rules to ensure uniform, standard implementation of the photo ID requirements in all 3,000-plus polling locations and among all 100 county boards of elections.
One of the approved rules focuses on implementing the ID requirements for in-person voting (08 NCAC 17 .0101 (PDF), and one focuses on the ID requirements for absentee voting (08 NCAC 17 .0109 (PDF).
During a public comment period from June 5–23, agency staff received more than 1,300 comments about the proposed rules and, in some cases, modified language in the rules in response to the comments.
After the agency submits the adopted rules to the Rules Review Commission, the Commission will determine whether to approve or reject the rules under Standards and timetable for review by Commission. N.C.G.S. § 150B-21.9.
The Board also unanimously approved a “Photo ID Exception Form (PDF)” for in-person voters and a “Photo ID Exception Form for Absentee Voting (PDF).” Under Requirement for photo identification to vote in person. N.C.G.S. § 163-166.16, the State Board must adopt a reasonable impediment exemption form which must, “at a minimum,” include specific reasons listed in the statute that a voter may select. Any voter who claims an exception to presenting photo ID – due to a reasonable impediment, religious objection to being photographed, or a recent natural disaster – must attest that they are the voter casting the ballot, they are voting a provisional ballot, and they qualify for the exception.
Also all ID needs to be stamped US citizen. Too many illegals voting.
There’s no evidence of a bunch of illegal aliens voting. Why do you tell stories?
Election fraud in North Carolina mostly exists in the minds of conspiracy theorists who want to cast doubt on elections that don’t go their way. The few most recent actual cases of any consequence investigated in NC were perpetrated by Republicans.
Why would anyone object to showing a photo ID for something as important as voting? We must show photo Id for opening bank accounts, obtaining gun permits, receive medical assistance from hospitals, and many other instances.
Please don’t complain about the requirement to show photo IDs to vote. Just do it.
Why waste people’s time and resources to “solve” a problem that doesn’t exist?
People have died so that we have the right to vote. That right does not compare to having a bank account, or other business related requirements for ID. Some elderly, and young people do not have photo IDs. It is not always easy for everyone under every circumstance to have a photo ID but should their right to vote be taken away? There is so little voter fraud as testified to by our local election board and election boards all over the nation. It is rare. This effort is about trying to keep people from voting, not voter fraud. It is sad.
It’s about time North Carolina woke up. We, the citizens, voted to show picture IDs several years ago.