No confusion at all
Published August 18, 2016
Editorial by Greensboro News-Record, August 18, 2016.
This election season hasn’t given us many laughs, so we’re grateful to Gov. Pat McCrory for this one: “Allowing the Fourth Circuit’s ruling to stand creates confusion among voters and poll workers ...”
McCrory was explaining why he asked the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Roberts, to let North Carolina enforce its voter ID law and other restrictions for the November election.
It will confuse voters if they don’t have to present an approved photo ID. Although they can if they want to.
They’ll get all mixed up if they are allowed to cast a provisional ballot if they show up at the wrong precinct by mistake.
It will befuddle them if they’re allowed to register and vote on the same day during early voting.
Oh, the bewilderment of it all. Voters will have all the same rights they had in 2012 unless the Supreme Court steps in and denies them, as North Carolina’s 2013 election “reform” law intended.
The governor should ease his mind: There’s no problem. The 2012 election went off just fine. (He won!) There wasn’t any fraud, vote stealing, election rigging, cheating or confusion.
There was no compelling reason for the legislature and governor to pass a fat package of voting law changes the very next year, with little debate. The stated purpose, “restoring confidence in government,” was a sham. Nothing about North Carolina elections rattled public confidence.
Republicans did that themselves, claiming massive fraud was likely without new safeguards. They offered no evidence that such fraud had occurred or posed a real threat.
What they did do, according to the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals’ powerful ruling July 29, was obtain information about black voting patterns. Black voters were more likely to vote early; it was cut back. They were more likely to cast straight-ticket votes; it was eliminated. They were more likely to register and vote on the same day during early voting; it was nixed. They were more likely to go to the wrong precinct; voting out of precinct with a provisional ballot was done away with.
With “almost surgical precision,” the court said, lawmakers imposed voting restrictions that “disproportionately affected African Americans.” The ruling was thoroughly supported by solid evidence.
Yet the governor says this ruling “is just plain wrong and we cannot allow it to stand.” He accused the court of “maligning our state.”
No, the court sought to correct a discriminatory action devised to tilt the election scales against black voters and the political party they generally favor. It’s obvious why: “By 2013 African American registration and turnout rates had finally reached near-parity with white registration and turnout rates,” the court wrote. “African Americans were poised to act as a major electoral force.”
Republicans were simply trying to hold on to their power by whatever means they could. Now they have been stopped.
Chief Justice Roberts was presented with no evidence that would justify placing a hold on the circuit court’s ruling. Any confusion, now that local election boards are planning to follow procedures that were in place in 2012, would be caused by further intervention. The governor’s request is laughable.
August 18, 2016 at 11:54 am
Bruce Stanley says:
Requiring voter ID and preventing voter fraud is not laughable. 34 states have it, with 17 requiring photo ID. NC should have it too. 70% of the voters want it. The Greensboro News & Record is against the will of the people! Why? Because you know better than what the voters want?
August 18, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Norm Kelly says:
As for confusion, let's be honest. I know, pols and demons alike have an issue with honesty. Low-information voters, and demon supporters in general seem to prefer lies over honesty. Wasn't it the court that declared in their opinion that NC blacks are less sophisticated and more easily confused than anyone else. Even in other states where voting laws are MORE restrictive than in NC even after all the changes, blacks and low-information demon voters seem to be able to do what's necessary. In other states, where their laws are apparently legal & Constitutional, no early voting days works well, even for blacks and low-information demon voters. In states where voter ID is legal & Constitutional, black voter turn-out was higher AFTER voter ID than before. So, perhaps the court was right: NC blacks are less able than people in other states.
But, I'll tell you, since the court claimed that NC blacks are 'less', and not only color-blind demons but black 'leaders' have accepted this decision, I've decided I no longer want to identify as a black female. I'm plenty capable, not less sophisticated, and quite able to manage life on my own without demon assistance.
It's quite interesting that when demons are EXTREMELY racist, it's not just tolerated, but celebrated. When some white person, non-demon, says or does ANYTHING, some racist hater tries to claim the intent was racist.
Hildabeast didn't show criminal intent with all her obvious law-breaking and lie-telling, but let some Republican or conservative even HINT at doing something off-color or extra-legal, and demons come out of the woodwork, blacks demand the livelyhood be taken away from said Republican. Demons are OUTRIGHT racists, forgiven, excused. No tolerance given to ANY conservative regardless of the circumstances.
And if you are an unlucky Republican, even demon disasters are blamed on you. Think World Trade Center and Bush. Actually demon and Clinton responsible; Bush & Republicans blamed. Think Pat & the coal ash disaster. Demon created, blamed on Pat & lax regulations put in place by Republicans in our Legislature. FOR DECADES demons ruled Raleigh and KNEW the coal ash ponds were leaking but DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. When the break happened, fortunately for demons, a Republican was in the mansion, so the fickle finger of fate was pointed squarely at him. Media response? Simply go along with their demon allies, and carry the story FOR DEMONS that Pat was solely at fault. Regulations NOT enforced during decades of demon rule, yet blame placed directly on Republicans!
Wonder why so few trust either politicians or media types? Demon pols lie. Media allies carry water for them. Demons are responsible. Media allows them to blame someone else. Trustworthiness has left both the demon part AND most media. Trust but verify. Only way to verify is to find alternative information sources, since the vast majority of media allies can't be trusted to tell the truth. Media allies only carry the story and information provided to them by their demon allies.
Shameful!
