North Carolina governor vetoes latest voter ID legislation
Republican lawmakers could try and override the veto. Gov. Cooper said "requiring photo IDs for in-person voting is a solution in search of a problem."
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday vetoed legislation implementing a voter photo identification mandate that was added to the state's constitution in a recent referendum, teeing up a likely veto override by Republican lawmakers.
Cooper has repeatedly opposed voter ID legislation over the years, saying it was unnecessary and would prevent many poor and minority citizens from exercising their right to cast ballots. He vetoed the measure even though more than 55 percent of voters approved a constitutional amendment last month requiring in-person voter photo ID.
"Requiring photo IDs for in-person voting is a solution in search of a problem," Cooper said in a statement.
"Instead, the real election problem is votes harvested illegally through absentee ballots, which this proposal fails to fix," he said, referencing an investigation of alleged absentee ballot fraud in the state's 9th Congressional District in November's election.
He added that the bill's fundamental flaw was a "sinister and cynical" attempt to suppress the voting rights of minorities, the poor, and the elderly.
Republican leaders in the GOP-dominated General Assembly vowed late Friday to override, a move that some observers expect will lead to litigation.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/north-carolina-governor-vetoes-latest-voter-id-legislation-n948311?cid=public-rss_20181215