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| The PHOENIX |
In that earlier post I explored the challenges to the poor to get these IDs (if they don't have a driver's license) without acceptable forms of documentation. This group of "economically poor" voters includes the elderly (who may have had a driver's license but it's expired because they no longer drive); the handicapped (who also don't have a driver's license); and minority voters - especially Black and Hispanic voters. Many of these voters also face challenges in getting to photo ID centers - particularly those living in rural areas with limited public transportation or being served by photo ID centers that have very limited service hours.
In North Carolina, all of these voter groups will be impacted by these new laws. Typically, court challenges to these laws come from both the Attorney General and the Justice Department as well as the NAACP and ACLU. What's new in this case is the addition of a challenge from college-age voters. This time the court challenge to the constitutionality of these laws is not only connected to constitutional amendments focused on voter rights in general; it is also focusing on the 26th Amendment that addresses voting rights for people who are 18 and older.
As seems to universally be the case, the new Voter Restriction Laws in North Carolina come from a state that is governed by the Republican Party. Why is this of particular interest to this blog? Apparently, in states where fewer voters show up the Republican Party seems to do much better than when there's a large voter turnout. Why? A large portion of Democratic Voters come from the categories of people most impacted by these Voter Restriction Laws!
Let me be clear. While I have a personal political party preference, the reason why the motivation for these laws matters related to the goals of this blog and having a PHOENIX PARTY in general is that it makes the case I've been trying to make all along - not only does voting matter....the number of voters matter!!! And, if you're a member of one of the groups that fit under the umbrella of the category "economically poor"..the NUMBERS ARE ON YOUR SIDE!!!
Voters under the age of 30 aren't necessarily poor...(for that matter, neither are the elderly, handicapped, or voters from minority categories..). But, many of them are - especially students in college or recent graduates who have huge college loans to pay back and who are struggling to find jobs. Why is it of particular interest to make it harder for young voters - voters 30 and younger - to vote in North Carolina? Simple - in the last Presidential Election this voting group made up 57% of voters! What politicians know is that most often the party that wins the position at the top of the ballot often impacts the winners "down ballot". Many people are straight party voters. They don't take the time to check off individual names. Presidential Election years are also the years when ALL of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE members are up for office! These election years also have some US Senators and Governors and other state offices on the ballot as well...not to mention local elections that include mayors, town councils and school boards. When does the new North Carolina law take effect? Some of those restrictions will effect this fall's election (when NC Senator's - Kay Hagan's - re-election bid is one of the crucial races that will impact which party controls the Senate). However, the most restrictive part of the law that will impact college-age voters happens in....you guessed it....2016!
How does the new law target young voters...specifically college-age voters? Photo ID is one of those targets. Unlike some of the other group categories we've discussed above, the issue of having a "government-issued photo ID" in the form of a driver's license isn't necessarily the problem for college age voters. They have a different ID problem - they go to a college in a DIFFERENT STATE so the license they have from their HOME STATE doesn't count!!! Yes...it's "government-issued" and yes...it's a "photo ID" but...apparently, one state doesn't respect the ID issued by another state. So, the question is, do you care enough about voting to go through the process of getting a license in a different state? Or, do you care enough about voting to go home to vote?
College-age voters in North Carolina are also upset because, even if their license is from a different state, many of them DO HAVE A PHOTO ID FROM A STATE-RUN COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY. Those IDs, however, are also not acceptable. (note: in some state's state-run college IDs are accepted...just not in NC if the new law goes into effect.)
The NC laws create other challenges to young voters. In many states you need to pre-register to vote and for the first time you vote in a precinct you need to show some form of ID. That form of ID can vary from a driver's license to a copy of a bill you pay that was sent to an address that verifies you live in that polling area's geographic region. In North Carolina, the practice until now allowed for SAME DAY REGISTRATION. You still have to go through presenting some form of ID that first time voting at that polling place (this is a practice for all voters the first time voting at a new polling place. This is the time when You are first giving your signature - the signature they will compare to all future signatures when you return to that polling place for other elections). The value of "same day registration" is that for college age students just arriving in an area in late August/early September, pre-registration deadlines happen within a few short weeks after your arrival at school.
North Carolina also used to allow for 17 DAYS OF EARLY VOTING. Those days have now been cut to 10. Depending on your schedule, going to a voting booth on a Tuesday may mean missing a class. And, for some college-age students, even if they do have a driver's license, they don't have their own cars at school. They depend on friends and public transportation. Any flexibility in getting to a polling place is helpful.
Though it didn't pass, N.C. legislators also tried to include the elimination of a tax break for parents of students if the student voted in NC rather than vote in their home state!
Even voters who live in NC and will be 18 in time to vote this fall have been negatively impacted by these new laws. Previously, students who are 16 and 17 have been a part of a program that allowed them to pre-register to vote in high school. That program has been eliminated.
While there is a certain amount of excitement to be able to say - when a person is elected President - I voted for him (her)! But...voters of any age are positively or negatively impacted by the legislation proposed/passed at all levels of government. Even if you only reside in a state/city for the limited amount of years you go to college, the legislation enacted in your college town/state can impact you in many ways. It's a great sign that young NC voters have joined in the court challenge to this case.
Some of the regulations described above have already gone into effect. The group of plaintiffs who are challenging the NC laws are now trying to have the court put an INJUNCTION in place to put those laws on hold until the actual case comes to court in 2015.
As you consider all of these restrictions to the North Carolina Voting Laws, one of the key points to keep in mind is that North Carolina "used to be" one of the states who couldn't make any changes to its voting laws without special permission. Why? North Carolina was one of the states that had a reputation for voter discrimination, so it was included in the VOTING RIGHTS ACT in a list of states who couldn't change their voting laws without permission. The list of those states was eliminated by the Supreme Court in 2013 and Congress has yet to revise that section of the Voting Rights law to identify any states today who may still practice the kind of voter discrimination that needs to be regulated. Incidentally, the new regulations in North Carolina were first introduced within a month of the Supreme Court's Ruling! I'm not sure if the right word is ironic...but...it is worth mentioning that as soon as North Carolina GOT OFF the list of states who discriminate against voters they passed a law that's considered to be THE WORST VOTER RESTRICTION LAW in the country!
When we talk about making the effort to go out and vote it is worth mentioning that saying that COLLEGE STUDENTS are fighting to eliminate these voting restriction laws in North Carolina isn't "completely true". There is no officially recognized group called THE COLLEGE STUDENTS OF NORTH CAROLINA. What's happening in North Carolina is that SEVEN STUDENTS from NC state-run colleges have come forth representing NC college-age students in the lawsuit. If I ever put together a list of "my heroes", those students' names would definitely be there! I not only applaud their courage but suggest, if you're reading this, that you see if there's any way that you can find out who they are and send them whatever kind of encouragement you can!
The new laws in North Carolina are frightening! Should the legal challenges to these laws not succeed it would be catastrophic! If the request for the INJUNCTION that is in court right now is not successful it would not only be a very bad sign for the voters of North Carolina and the outcome of the actual court case in 2015; it would also energize any other state legislature where the controlling party believes that lower voter turnout is an advantage.
While there are many reasons why I hope that this court challenge to the NC law succeeds, one of the main ones is that when young voters are surveyed on why they don't vote they say it's because they don't think their vote makes any difference. The results in the NC case will go a long way to either convincing these young voters that they are right or helping them believe that maybe they are wrong. Voting does make a difference! Let's hope....
Some of the regulations described above have already gone into effect. The group of plaintiffs who are challenging the NC laws are now trying to have the court put an INJUNCTION in place to put those laws on hold until the actual case comes to court in 2015.
As you consider all of these restrictions to the North Carolina Voting Laws, one of the key points to keep in mind is that North Carolina "used to be" one of the states who couldn't make any changes to its voting laws without special permission. Why? North Carolina was one of the states that had a reputation for voter discrimination, so it was included in the VOTING RIGHTS ACT in a list of states who couldn't change their voting laws without permission. The list of those states was eliminated by the Supreme Court in 2013 and Congress has yet to revise that section of the Voting Rights law to identify any states today who may still practice the kind of voter discrimination that needs to be regulated. Incidentally, the new regulations in North Carolina were first introduced within a month of the Supreme Court's Ruling! I'm not sure if the right word is ironic...but...it is worth mentioning that as soon as North Carolina GOT OFF the list of states who discriminate against voters they passed a law that's considered to be THE WORST VOTER RESTRICTION LAW in the country!
When we talk about making the effort to go out and vote it is worth mentioning that saying that COLLEGE STUDENTS are fighting to eliminate these voting restriction laws in North Carolina isn't "completely true". There is no officially recognized group called THE COLLEGE STUDENTS OF NORTH CAROLINA. What's happening in North Carolina is that SEVEN STUDENTS from NC state-run colleges have come forth representing NC college-age students in the lawsuit. If I ever put together a list of "my heroes", those students' names would definitely be there! I not only applaud their courage but suggest, if you're reading this, that you see if there's any way that you can find out who they are and send them whatever kind of encouragement you can!
The new laws in North Carolina are frightening! Should the legal challenges to these laws not succeed it would be catastrophic! If the request for the INJUNCTION that is in court right now is not successful it would not only be a very bad sign for the voters of North Carolina and the outcome of the actual court case in 2015; it would also energize any other state legislature where the controlling party believes that lower voter turnout is an advantage.
While there are many reasons why I hope that this court challenge to the NC law succeeds, one of the main ones is that when young voters are surveyed on why they don't vote they say it's because they don't think their vote makes any difference. The results in the NC case will go a long way to either convincing these young voters that they are right or helping them believe that maybe they are wrong. Voting does make a difference! Let's hope....
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