Federal Judge Denies Preliminary Injunction Against NC's New Voting Law

North Carolina's new voting law will be in effect during the 2014 November General Election.

Efforts have failed to prevent North Carolina's new voting law from going into effect during the 2014 November General Election. Last Friday in a Winston-Salem courtroom, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas D. Schroeder denied a preliminary injunction on the grounds plaintiffs had not proven the law suppressed voter access for the state's minority population. In July, North Carolina NAACP chapters along with churches, students and other non-profit groups sued North Carolina during a preliminary injunction hearing in a Winston-Salem federal court.

Attorney Irving Joyner is on the team representing the North Carolina NAACP. He says while he's disappointed with the judge's decision, it's fueling efforts to increase minority voter registration in the state. “We have organizers out all over the state particularly in the counties and urban areas where there's a large minority populations," explains Joyner. "Organizing voter registration drives and we'll be following that up with our branches getting people to the polls for the November election.”

The new law reduces the number of days for early voting from 17 to 10, eliminates same-day voter registration and prohibits counties from counting ballots cast by voters in the correct county but in the wrong precinct. Additionally, in 2016, it will require voters to present a photo ID at the poll. Also, Judge Schroeder denied the State's motion to dismiss this case. Next summer it goes to trial. Plaintiffs say they're optimistic North Carolina's voter law will be defeated.