State Says Blocking Voting Law Will Add Confusion

State attorneys argue that overturning the federal judge's decision would lead to confusion and long lines during the election. 

 Voting rights advocates asked that the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals reverse the August decision of a lower court which allowed the provisions of North Carolina's voter ID act to go into effect. The NAACP, League of Women Voters and others are trying restore same day registration and add early voting days. 

Three lawsuits have been filed challenging the constitutionality of the new law, alleging it violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Republican legislators passed the Voter Information Verification Act last year. A trial on those lawsuits is scheduled for July 2015. 

The provisions in dispute include a reduction in the number of days for early voting from 17 to 10, and eliminating same-day voter registration. It also increases the number of poll observers that each political party assigns during an election.

Opponents have said that the law discriminates against blacks, who have used early voting and same day registration at higher rates than whites. They want these changes barred until after the trial. 

According to the Winston Salem Journal, state attorneys say it's too late to make any changes. For example, the state says a computer program to facilitate early voting has been disabled and would need to be manually entered by poll workers, which would lead to potential problems and increased wait times. 

The state NAACP claims a large number of people could have their right to vote either limited or denied.