North Carolina Court Upholds Voter ID Law Amid Controversy

Fri Mar 27 2026 01:29:40 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A federal judge has upheld North Carolina's voter ID law, rejecting claims of discrimination. The ruling raises concerns about its implications for minority voters.

A federal judge upheld North Carolina's voter ID law on Thursday, dismissing arguments that it was enacted with discriminatory intent against Black and Latino voters. The law, passed in 2018, was backed by Republican leaders following a constitutional amendment. U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs stated that while evidence suggested the ID requirement disproportionately affects minority voters, legal rulings compel the court to assume it was enacted in good faith. This decision has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates, with potential appeals on the horizon.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s photo voter identification law was upheld on Thursday as a federal judge set aside arguments by civil rights groups that Republicans enacted the requirement with discriminatory intent against Black and Latino voters.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs is a significant legal victory for Republican legislative leaders who passed the law in late 2018 — shortly after voters approved a constitutional amendment supporting the idea.

North Carolina state Senate leader Phil Berger stated that with Biggs’ decision, we can put to rest any doubt that our state’s Voter I.D. law is constitutional.

Biggs had presided over a non-jury trial in a lawsuit filed by the state NAACP and local chapters, which argued the ID requirement violated the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act. At trial, the NAACP alleged that Republican legislators enacted the voter ID law to solidify their political power by discouraging traditionally Democratic-aligned voters from casting their ballots.

Republican lawmakers defending the law argued that they wouldn’t have implemented one of the most permissive voter ID laws among states if their intention was to entrench themselves politically. They stated that the law is race-neutral and includes more qualifying ID categories than the previously approved 2013 voter ID law that was struck down due to bias concerns.

Despite ongoing federal litigation, the 2018 voter ID law has been in effect since the 2023 municipal elections, following a ruling from the state Supreme Court upholding the law in a separate case. These elections included the March 3 primary results that were mostly certified last Wednesday.

Biggs’ 134-page decision acknowledged that the burden to obtain IDs disproportionately falls on Black and Hispanic voters, resulting in numerous racial minority voters likely being unable to present the required ID on Election Day. She noted, for many, their vote will not count when the election is certified.

However, she emphasized that due to the court's obligation to defer to legislative intentions, historical context was less impactful in their ruling. This has left some critics, including State NAACP President Deborah Dicks Maxwell, expressing disappointment over the decision, as it overlooks significant barriers faced by specific voter groups. No decision has yet been made regarding an appeal.

North Carolina maintains provisions for free ID cards for voting through various state offices and allows those without photo ID to have their votes counted if they file an exception form or present their ID to election officials before the final vote counts.

Currently, 36 states enforce voter ID laws, with 23 requiring photo identification, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.