Twenty-two people in North Carolina had applied for a free voter identification card as of midday Friday, the second day the card was offered in the state. Voters will need government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot in 2016 under a state law set last year by the Republican-controlled General Assembly. The law that requires the voter identification has other provisions that include ending same-day voter registration, trimming the period for early voting from 17 days to 10 and eliminating a program that encourages high school students to register to vote in advance of their 18th birthdays. The political parties said they would work with their members to make sure those who need the free IDs would get them in time.
The IDs are meant for people who don’t have another form of identification and can’t afford to get one. It takes 10-15 days to get the ID after applying at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
“Although most North Carolinians already have a form of photo identification, for those who don’t, some local Republican parties are already organizing efforts to drive residents to locations to help them get a free identification card,” said Daniel Keylin, spokesman for the state Republican Party. “Those efforts will continue to expand as we head closer to the election.”
Full Article: Few in NC apply for free voter ID card | The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com.