Target: Judge Diana Gribbon Motz
Goal: Applaud ruling reversing racist voter ID laws that have been shown to target black Americans.
In a victory for voting rights, a federal appeals court has ruled that North Carolina’s voter ID laws are unconstitutional. The ruling strikes down requirements that voters present ID before voting and reinstates same day voter registration.
In the ruling, the court stated unequivocally that voter suppression laws were clearly targeting African American and other minority communities. The judges pointed to the fact that the North Carolina legislature passed voter ID laws after receiving data showing that African American voters would be disproportionately affected. This victory comes after political pressure and public outrage, including Force Change petitions such as “Codemn Efforts to Restrict Voting Rights in North Carolina.”
Following the recent ruling by the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act, many states quickly passed voter ID laws and eliminated same day voter registration and pre-registration. North Carolina was one of the first states to pass voter suppression laws and passed some of the most extreme versions of these laws. Sign our petition and applaud this step toward ending voter suppression in North Carolina.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Judge Motz,
I am writing to thank you for ruling against voter suppression laws in North Carolina. I believe that the ruling represents an important step in fighting attempts to roll back voting rights. As you know, since the recent partial invalidation of the Voting Rights Act, several states have passed laws supposedly to prevent electoral fraud. While many have pointed out that these laws disproportionately impact African American communities, that opinion was not considered legal fact.
Alongside the recent ruling in Wisconsin, this ruling represents a victory for voting rights. Furthermore, by making it clear that these laws are, and always have been, aimed at suppressing African American votes, you have made the ugly truth of these laws undeniable. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Michael Fleshman
