These changes strengthen, not dilute, our great voter ID law. By making allowances (with strict rules) for dealing with legitimate problems (situations), our General Assembly has made the law more likely to survive potential lawsuits AND helped ensure all eligible voters are allowed to vote. 
In an attempt to clear up some confusion, the following information comes to us from our local General Assembly members:

It is important to just please remember these quick points:

Because NC has a very high standard of what photo IDs we will accept (NCDMV Issued or Federal {passport, military photo id} and we do not accept most IDs accepted in other states {College IDs -Georgia, etc.} we provided a failsafe – just in case – someone gets to the Poll and legitimately does not have their ID.  (Our General Assembly members talked about someone losing their wallet right before the election, or someone having their driver’s licence expire a few days before Election Day and not realize it until they go to vote)

The State Board, DMV, political parties, and other groups are working hard to make sure everyone gets their required ID.  But, just in case, an individual can present him/herself at the polling site, provide their name AND address AND last four of social AND birth date AND sign under penalty of perjury that they are who they say they are, the individual would be allowed to complete a provisional ballot which must then be sent to the County Board of Elections which will verify it using the same system they use to handle absentee ballots.

We would argue that this is actually the hardest way possible to commit voter fraud because a person actually must show up to a polling place and claim to  be who they say they are, provide the correct identifying information and STILL have the County BoE verify it all BEFORE the provisional ballot can be counted.

And, the State Board will, after the election, follow up with those people and help them get an ID if needed.

Please know too that South Carolina also has a reasonable impediment statute and has had it the entire time they have had photo voter ID.  In 2014, 1.1 million South Carolinians voted and only 119 used this procedure.  That is 1 out of every 10,000 votes cast.

We know some outside groups are using this to stir the pot and raise money.  That’s pretty much the way it always goes.

Here is a posting from John Locke.  We think it sums things up pretty well.

 http://lockerroom.johnlocke.org/2015/06/18/voter-id-law-gets-relaxed-just-a-bit/#.VYOECsSt2zY.email

We hope this clears up any confusion. Again, these changes make our tough voter ID laws even stronger by including a mechanism to deal with problems that is clear, precise and accountable. 

The Wake County Republican Party