Closing Arguments Expected in Injunction Hearing against NC's Voting Law

A federal hearing challenging North Carolina's voting law is coming to an end.

Throughout the week in a Winston-Salem federal courtroom, Civil Rights groups have presented what they say is evidence that North Carolina's current voting law is unfair to some residents.

The plaintiffs include: The U.S. Department of Justice, the state's NAACP and ACLU chapters, the League of Women Voters, The Advancement Project, churches and a group of college students. They hope to stop the state law from being used during the November General Election. They argue it discriminates against minorities and reduces access to the polls for the elderly, teenagers and low-income residents.
But the state contends changes in the law create a fair system that will prevent fraud.

In a partnership between WFDD and the Winston-Salem Journal, Legal Affairs reporter Michael Hewlett is covering the proceedings with updates during Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

He tells WFDD's Kathryn Mobley an expert witness for the plaintiff says there is a long national and state history of Caucasians creating barriers to the voting polls for African Americans.