North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory says he will sign into law a Republican-backed bill making sweeping changes to how and when citizens can vote even though he has not seen one of its key provisions. McCrory praised the bill in a media conference Friday, saying it will restore faith in elections by requiring voters to present government-issued identification at the polls. An Associated Press reporter asked the Republican governor how three particular provisions of the bill would help prevent voter fraud — ending same-day voter registration, trimming the period for early voting by a week and eliminating a program that encourages high school students to register to vote in advance of their 18th birthdays. McCrory talked about two other sections of the legislation — a measure added to through a Democratic amendment that directs counties to make early voting available for more hours during the abbreviated early voting period and a provision forbidding lobbyists from passing campaign donations from their clients directly on to lawmakers.
Asked again about the three provisions and how they would prevent voter fraud, McCrory said he had long been concerned about same-day registration, which allows voters to cast a ballot immediately after presenting elections officials with proof of their name and home address.
McCrory said the system had potential for abuse. “There is plenty of opportunity for voter registration — online, offline, through many methods,” McCrory said. “I thought that was a fair system before and I think it is a fair system now.”
North Carolina has never allowed voters to register online, though they can download a form and print it out. The GOP-backed elections bill tightens restrictions on registration, requiring voters to submit a paper form by mail or in person at least 25 days in advance of a primary or election.
McCrory was then asked specifically about the provision ending pre-registration by those under 18.
“I don’t know enough, I’m sorry, I haven’t seen that part of the bill,” McCrory replied.
Republicans have said the legislation is meant to prevent voter fraud, which they claim is both rampant and undetected. But non-partisan voting rights groups, Democrats and libertarians, suggested the true goal is suppressing voter turnout — especially among blacks, the young, the elderly and the poor.
Full Article: McCrory not familiar with all of bill he’s to sign | The Sanford Herald.