N Carolina judges keep alive lawsuit against voter ID law

RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina judges are keeping alive a lawsuit that challenges the state’s new photo voter identification law as discriminating against racial minorities, but the court won’t stop IDs from being required in upcoming elections as the case grinds ahead.

Voters last November passed a constitutional amendment requiring voter ID. A three-judge state panel ruled Friday that the six voters challenging the resulting law presented enough evidence to keep going.

The plaintiffs alleged the law passed last December was intentionally discriminatory and violated the state constitution. One judge said the law excluded government-issued IDs for public housing or benefits used disproportionately by black voters.

A separate lawsuit by the state NAACP would void the voter ID constitutional amendment and a second passed last year capping income tax rates.