North Carolina’s restrictive new voting law was in effect for the first time in Tuesday’s primary election. And there were plenty of signs that the law could make it harder to cast a ballot for many in the Tar Heel State. Tuesday’s off-year election wasn’t a good test of the law’s impact because turnout among Democrats—who are likely to be most affected by the restrictions—was tiny. Additionally, the law’s most high-profile provision, a photo ID requirement, won’t go into effect until 2016. Still, there was ample cause for concern about the law’s effect on future elections, when turnout will be higher. Two such races to keep an eye on include this fall’s U.S. Senate race, when Kay Hagan, the Democratic incumbent, faces Republican Thom Tillis, and 2016, when Gov. Pat McCrory will stand for re-election, and the state figures to once again be a presidential battleground.
North Carolina’s voting law, passed by Republicans in 2013 and signed by McCrory, has been called the most restrictive in the country. In addition to the ID requirement, it cut early voting, eliminated same-day registration, and ended a popular pre-registration program for high school students. The law is being challenged under the Voting Rights Act by the U.S. Justice Department and several civil rights groups, who allege that it discriminates against racial minorities.
The Vote Defender Project, a North Carolina-based voter protection group, monitored polling places in 36 counties across the state. Bryan Perlmutter, an organizer with the group, told msnbc his team saw two major problems: The law’s disqualification of votes cast in the wrong precinct caused major confusion; and the state’s campaign to inform voters at the polls about the coming ID requirement was carried out in a wildly inconsistent manner.
The ban on votes cast in the wrong precinct has flown relatively under the radar among the law’s provisions. Previously, if voters showed up at a precinct that wasn’t theirs, they could still cast a ballot that would count for federal and state races. Not anymore.
Full Article: North Carolina voting law causes confusion at the polls | MSNBC.