Students Joining Battle to Upend Laws on Voter ID

[babylonsister]

Students Joining Battle to Upend Laws on Voter ID
College Students Claim Voter ID Laws Discriminate Based on Age

By MATT APUZZO
JULY 5, 2014



WASHINGTON — Civil rights groups have spent a decade fighting requirements that voters show photo identification, arguing that this discriminates against African-Americans, Hispanics and the poor. This week in a North Carolina courtroom, another group will make its case that such laws are discriminatory: college students.

Joining a challenge to a state law alongside the N.A.A.C.P., the American Civil Liberties Union and the Justice Department, lawyers for seven college students and three voter-registration advocates are making the novel constitutional argument that the law violates the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18 from 21. The amendment also declares that the right to vote “shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.”

There has never been a case like it, and if the students succeed, it will open another front in what has become a highly partisan battle over voting rights.

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Under the North Carolina law passed last year, the period for early voting was shortened and same-day registration was eliminated. Beginning in 2016, voters will need to show photo identification, and student ID cards, including those issued by state universities, will not be acceptable. In most instances, neither will an out-of-state driver’s license.

The law also eliminated a program in which teenagers filled out their voter-registration forms early and were automatically registered when they turned 18.

“For people like me, it makes what should be a simple process very difficult,” said Josue Berduo, 20, an economics major at North Carolina State University and a Democrat who is one of the plaintiffs.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/us/college-students-claim-voter-id-laws-discriminate-based-on-age.html?action=click&contentCollection=The+Upshot&region=Footer&module=TopNews&pgtype=article

[Bigmack]

1. About fucking time students woke up.... (go ahead and flame away) nt

[Gothmog]

2. In Texas, student ids do not count but CHLs do

In Texas, student ids are not on the list of GOP approved forms of identification but concealed handgun licences are on this list. The GOP has been fighting to keep students from voting for a long time. This is a good move by the students

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. Cause gun ownas ar God ferin mercans

Who cares 'bout colluj sissies? Edjumacation is elitist.

[jwirr]

3. In many states the elderly and women's groups should join in. We need to take this on now.

[Omaha Steve]

4. K&R!

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. good

[babylonsister]

7. YAY! Tweety's going there with this story! nt