African American Caucus of the Forsyth County
Jacquelyne Barber Branch
March 6, 2013
The North Carolina General
Assembly
Re: Voter ID Bill
The
African American Caucus of the Forsyth County Democratic Party Jacquelyne
Barber Branch is opposed to the “Voter I.D. Bill” proposed by Speaker Thom
Tillis and the N.C. Legislature.
The
sponsors of this bill states its purpose is to reduce voter fraud; make sure
everyone is counted; increase voter confidence in the system and will not
inhibit access to the voting process by creating what the Speaker says is a
fair and measured process for photo I.D. requirement for citizens to vote.
However this is the most regressive and partisan anti-voter bill since passage
of a series of election laws by the state legislature that gave judges and
registrars almost unlimited power to determine the qualifications and
eligibility of voters. The “county law” enacted Feb 27, 1877 nullified the
strength of black votes at the ballot box and culminated into the
constitutional amendment of 1900 which stripped the vote from African Americans
in North Carolina because of their heavy voter participation and over
whelming support of one political party.
It is the antithesis of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The
African American Caucus FCDP- Jacquelyne Barber Branch is opposed to this bill
for the following reasons:
This bill goes
against the stated premise of the sponsors, in that it will not increase
voter confidence in the system and will inhibit access to the voting
process. Everyone will not be counted.
This bill is the antithesis
of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It is a regressive measure that invokes past
poll taxes of literacy and finance on targeted citizens to repress their vote
through intimidation.
It is an
extremely partisan bill that also invokes racism, economic and age
discrimination as it disproportionally affects African Americans and seniors.
It will also drastically affect college students and women.
This bill will
duplicate what is already in place. Identification is used to register to vote,
and voter fraud is already on the books as a felony. It is also not needed
because out of the 6.3 million registered voters in North Carolina there have
been 21 cases sent to the District Attorneys and these cases were not due to
any violations.
This bill has too
many unknowns. The Speaker and the NC Legislature do not know how to proceed
without going against the Voting Rights Act of 1965; do not have a process in
place for any distribution by the next election, just 18 months away, to
implement any identification process in a fair and measured way; and do not
know what information will be accepted for I.D. participation.
In closing, with an
estimated cost of $11 million to $43 million, funding is to be set aside to
create a North Carolina State Government Voter Identification instead of being
set aside for investing in all North Carolina citizens through education,
infrastructure, and job creation.
Creating jobs is what the legislatures said they were going to do and
what they as legislatures were elected to do. Creating jobs, supporting
education and infrastructure is what will increase confidence in North
Carolina, not a regressive anti-voter bill that requires a state I.D.
Submitted
by the African American Caucus FCDP-Jacquelyne Barber Branch
Chenita
Johnson, President
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