Federal Court Puts NC Voter ID on Hold

A federal court has blocked North Carolina's Voter ID law, and it appears the requirement to show identification at the polls won't be in place for the March primaries unless the decision is successfully challenged in court.

The word came not in a full order but in a brief notice from the court that it will grant the plaintiff's request for an injunction. The notice says an order will be issued next week.

Lawyers for the North Carolina NAACP and others asked for an injunction during a hearing in Winston-Salem earlier this month. They argued that the law violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and goes against the 14th and 15th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

They say black and Latino voters disproportionately lack the IDs that would be necessary to cast their ballot, and this could impact voter turnout.

The NC NAACP also argues there's not enough time to successfully implement the law before the March primary election. 

But representatives for the state say they've been taking steps to educate voters with informational seminars and mailings, and have been offering free voter ID cards.