NC officials requested data on how black people vote, then made those forms of voting illegal

[bigtree]

The federal court in Richmond found that the primary purpose of North Carolina's wasn't to stop voter fraud, but rather to disenfranchise minority voters. The judges found that the provisions "target African Americans with almost surgical precision."

In particular, the court found that North Carolina lawmakers requested data on racial differences in voting behaviors in the state. "This data showed that African Americans disproportionately lacked the most common kind of photo ID, those issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)," the judges wrote.

"With race data in hand, the legislature amended the bill to exclude many of the alternative photo IDs used by African Americans," the judges wrote. "The bill retained only the kinds of IDs that white North Carolinians were more likely to possess."

The data also showed that black voters were more likely to make use of early voting — particularly the first seven days out of North Carolina's 17-day voting period. So lawmakers eliminated these seven days of voting. "After receipt of this racial data, the General Assembly amended the bill to eliminate the first week of early voting, shortening the total early voting period from seventeen to ten days," the court found.

Most strikingly, the judges point to a "smoking gun" in North Carolina's justification for the law, proving discriminatory intent. The state argued in court that "counties with Sunday voting in 2014 were disproportionately black" and "disproportionately Democratic," and said it did away with Sunday voting as a result.

"Thus, in what comes as close to a smoking gun as we are likely to see in modern times, the State’s very justification for a challenged statute hinges explicitly on race — specifically its concern that African Americans, who had overwhelmingly voted for Democrats, had too much access to the franchise," the judges write in their decision.

read: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/29/the-smoking-gun-proving-north-carolina-republicans-tried-to-disenfranchise-black-voters/

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Good for that Federal Court!

They very clearly saw what the NC legislators were up to, and they put a stop to it.

These tactics that NC used are reprehensible in the extreme.

The right to vote is sacred, and belongs to every citizen.

[bigtree]

2. good look at the Obama legacy

...a reversal of the republican imbalance in the appellate courts, including record appointments of women to the bench, largely a result of the changes in the filibuster rules.

[rurallib]

32. but our man Grassley has even put a halt to that recently

[Takket]

3. Since the laws have shown to be so clearly and purposfully racist...

Is there anything the Feds can do to more against the NC legislature for passing the laws in the first place? I'm pleased the court struck them down, but it seems like legally speaking some people should be impeached or even in prison for doing this.

[bigtree]

5. I'd stay tuned

...since it was the Justice Dept. which brought the suit.

They'll likely be building a case for special monitoring. Individual (or class-action) suits might be allowed for those directly affected.

[drmeow]

4. I wish there was a way

to make them do time for this kind of sh*t - preferably long, hard time - 20 years in prison kind of time. Because the only thing which makes these types of a$$holes change is the threat of loss of power, loss of money, or loss of freedom (mostly cause of the loss of power and money associated with it). You aren't going to make them stop hating and you aren't going to make them stop seeing the ends as justifying the means so make them pay, pay, pay. I want there to be very real consequences for this sort of thing. Unfortunately there are a lot of things in our political system I'd like to see real consequences for but it won't ever happen.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. Great post

[drmeow]

17. Thanks! eom

[Stonepounder]

35. I don't agree. We can't start arresting legislators for being racist.

The correct answer is for the newly re-enfranchised voters to turn out in record numbers and vote their white asses out of office!

[TeamPooka]

38. You're nicer than me. I want them tarred and feathered. After a fair trial of course. nt

[suffragette]

6. Those legislators should be charged with discrimination based on race.

It's vile for them to do this and they should be held accountable.

[meow2u3]

8. I have mixed feelings about criminalization of discrimination

The laws might be twisted and used against us, charging us with "discrimination" against fundie Xtians.

[Lee-Lee]

9. I'm so ashamed of my state these last few years

Makes me sick.

[ncgrits]

11. I'm not ashamed of our state!

Republicans are 100% responsible for the recent bigoted legislation. They gerrymandered and cheated their way into power and set our state back 50 years in about 6 months. But the chickens are coming home to roost and next up in the cavalcade of unconstitutional horse shit is HB2.

Pat McCrory and his cronies are one the way out.

I love North Carolina and we are succeeding in undoing a lot of crap that the rethugs put in place. . . . Lots of good folks in NC.

[bekkilyn]

16. There are a lot of great people in NC it is true, but...

...the Republicans have been doing their utmost to make this state into a national embarrassment. Voting rights, LGBT, education...the list of damage goes on and on. Please, please, please, I beg everyone here NOT to forget about local elections in whatever state you live in...and not just this year during a presidential election, but also for the times we aren't voting for a presidential candidate. Local elections are *so* important and Democrats/liberals/progressives have been notoriously awful at showing up to vote for them.

ALEC and the Koch's are particularly focused on local elections and that's a big part of how Republicans and tea party have gotten such an iron grip on many of our states. We need to be even more vigilant and motivated to defeat them!

[appal_jack]

34. Republicans have been trashing the environment here too.

Fracking, coal ash favors for McCrory's former employer Duke Power... the list of criminal actions by NC Republicans is long.

Huge K&R to this court decision that restores some fairness to NC elections! We will turn things around here...

-app

[wishstar]

10. They also ended straight party voting and closed some voting precincts in minority areas

All their draconian measures would have definitely led to long lines discouraging voting by elderly, disabled and handicapped voters. Many people would have been turned away. They also made absentee voting more cumbersome.

Hopefully Gov. McCrory will be voted out.

Just by having a Dem Governor again will ensure a Democrat is the presiding judge in all precincts throughout the state to monitor proper administration of regulations. In the past with Dem Governors the NC system worked flawlessly with equal numbers of Dems and Repubs working together at the polls ensuring fairness. There were a lot of problems and snafus during this primary season since Repubs took over and started transitioning to the new regs.

Their horrible voting restrictions were such a waste of time and taxpayers money to set up and then to defend in court.

I have worked at the NC polls in many elections over the years and have been heartbroken over how they tried to ruin what was perhaps the best election system in the country, with virtually no voter fraud, no lines, easy access to all- just a wonderful voting experience that hopefully will now remain in place forever!!!!

[ncgrits]

12. It really is a great election system in NC!

I am so STOKED that we got it back AND in time for November.

My family in Virginia is SO jealous of our awesome early voting and same-day registration.

[spooky3]

13. Wow. Couldn't be more clear.

[Princess Turandot]

14. I read the decision the other day...

The judge laid it out in such detail that it feels like an instruction manual on disenfranchising voters.

And that bit about gathering data on a race basis. They didn't even seem to think that revealing that action in the original court hearing was any big thing. Disgusting.

[mcar]

15. Could they have made their intentions more obvious?

[mountain grammy]

18. Caught red handed..

[Dr Rise]

19. Wow ...

just, WOW!

[Scurrilous]

20. Fucking bastards.

[uponit7771]

23. +1

[IronLionZion]

21. Why because they elected Barack Obama in 2008?

Because they have had other Democrats win statewide office?

This is blatant and they believed they would get away with it.

Be wary of a party that is so desperate that they need to stop voters from voting. They are dangerous.

[Liberal_in_LA]

22. ...

[raven mad]

24. I like the fact that these idiots lost.

Sort of like a 55-zip football game. And seriously, did they really think they could get away with it?

[Ford_Prefect]

39. They only lost about the voter discrimination. They still own the state legislature.

They will try this again in another more diffuse form, that's how they do it. They don't just go away when they lose, they get nastier.

[SticksnStones]

25. And you just KNOW the republican response

won't be ANY kind of remorse for employing such blatantly disenfranchising tactics but rather they'll counter with a battle cry for better judges on the bench ~

While continuing to hold up dozens of judicial appointments so as to not give Obama anything that might look like a win ~

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/11/senate-republicans-block-obama-judge-nominations



http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/payback-gop-blocks-obama-judge-picks-judiciary-119743

[CRK7376]

26. Thank you Richmond Judges….

this North Carolinian is thrilled with your ruling. Anything that can be used to poke a huge sharp stick in Gov McCrory's eye and that of the GOP Legislature is a good thing. As a white guy, I have all at the documents to prove my validity to vote. But there are many in my state that McCrory and the GOP are doing their dead level best to nullify voting rights. They make me sick. I love this defeat and can't wait to see them creamed at the Supreme Court if they have the guts to seek an appeal. They are scum. Thanks again Fed Judges for helping democracy win in NC.

[sufrommich]

28. Unreal,they don't think they even have to try to mask their

motives anymore. They thrive on hate.

[ck4829]

29. Nobody is being killed here today, but this is Black Lives Matter too

When the law is all but explicitly said to be "Find out what black people do, and put a stop to it" then that's not really the law at all.

[The Second Stone]

30. This is a set of findings that calls the Supreme Court full of shit

in its ruling that confederate states were post racism in striking down the Voting Rights Act.

[farmboy]

31. ^^^^THIS!^^^^

[LongtimeAZDem]

33. Need a good GOTV ad-buy in NC, using this and the tweets about Kaine

Hammer on the hatred, ignorance, and cheating.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

36. Remember this?

[Rex]

37. Institutional racism up front and in your face and the GOPukers constantly ask why we call them

racist assholes. UM DUH!!???

[CrispyQ]

40. This is beyond shameful.