General Assembly Begins Process Of Finalizing Voter ID Rules

The North Carolina General Assembly has gotten back to work for its year-end lame-duck session.

Among its top priorities this time around is the legislature's fine-tuning of the state's new voter ID requirements.

Just a few weeks ago, voters decisively enshrined a voter identification amendment into the state's constitution. But the language was vague enough that the General Assembly still needed to sort out the details.

A bill filed in the Senate would allow voters to use the obvious things like a North Carolina driver's license, state identification card, or a U.S. passport to prove their identity when they vote in person. Tribal and military IDs are also included.

Additionally, the bill sets up a process where universities can issue cards to students that would meet state voting requirements. And if it passes, boards of elections would be required to issue free voter ID cards upon request.

The contents of the bill are sure to be hotly debated, although Republicans still have veto-proof majorities in the legislature for the next few weeks.