RNC and North Carolina GOP sue over digital student IDs for voting

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE (RNC) AND NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PARTY HAVE LAUNCHED THEIR FOURTH LAWSUIT IN A MONTH AGAINST THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS (NCSBE), CHALLENGING THE BOARD’S RECENT DECISION TO ACCEPT DIGITAL STUDENT IDS FOR VOTING.

THE LAWSUIT SPECIFICALLY TARGETS THE APPROVAL OF THE ‘MOBILE UNC ONE CARD’ GENERATED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL, MARKING THE FIRST INSTANCE OF A SMARTPHONE-BASED ID QUALIFYING FOR VOTING PURPOSES IN THE STATE.

REPUBLICANS ARGUE THAT STATE LAW REQUIRES PHYSICAL IDENTIFICATION, NOT DIGITAL VERSIONS, FOR VOTING PURPOSES.

THE LAWSUIT cites a February 2024 statement from the  ELECTIONS BOARD THAT: “AN IMAGE OF A PHOTO ID, EITHER AS A PHOTOCOPY OR A PHOTO ON A MOBILE DEVICE, IS NOT ONE OF THE PERMITTED FORMS OF PHOTO ID WHEN VOTING IN PERSON.”

THE ATTORNEY FOR THE ELECTIONS BOARD COUNTERS THAT THE LAW DOES NOT EXPLICITLY PROHIBIT DIGITAL IDS.

OVER 130 TRADITIONAL STUDENT AND EMPLOYEE IDS HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR VOTING IN 2024, BUT THE INCLUSION OF DIGITAL VERSIONS RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT SECURITY AND VERIFICATION PROCESSES.

NORTH CAROLINA’S STATUS AS ONE OF SEVEN CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND STATES ELEVATES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS LEGAL CHALLENGE, POTENTIALLY INFLUENCING THE OUTCOME OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

REPUBLICANS ARE ASKING A JUDGE TO ISSUE A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION DECLARING THAT DIGITAL IDS ARE UNACCEPTABLE UNDER STATE LAW WHEN ISSUING IDENTIFICATION TO VOTE IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION.

IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING IS SET TO BEGIN ON OCTOBER 17, ADDING URGENCY TO THE RESOLUTION OF THIS DISPUTE.

FOR SAN, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.