Trump Sues North Carolina: Voter Records Dispute
Justice Department Sues North Carolina Over Voter Registration Accuracy
The Justice Department is taking legal action against North Carolina and its Board of Elections, asserting that the state’s voter registration practices violate federal law. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, centers on the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 and its voter identification requirements.
Federal officials contend that North Carolina’s voter registration forms did not explicitly require applicants to provide either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. According to the suit, individuals who submitted forms without this identifying information were still added to the voter rolls, a practice the Justice Department argues is a violation of HAVA.
HAVA, enacted to modernize election procedures, mandates that voter registration applications include either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a social Security number.
The lawsuit claims a “notable number” of North Carolina voters were registered despite not providing the necessary identifying information.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said accurate voter registration rolls are essential for fair and accurate elections in North Carolina. She added that the Justice Department will pursue legal action against jurisdictions with inaccurate voter registration rolls that violate federal voting laws.
“Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately and without fraud,” Dhillon said. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.”
This legal challenge follows a contentious North Carolina Supreme Court race. republican Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin conceded to Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs earlier this month after a six-month legal battle. Griffin had sought to invalidate approximately 60,000 ballots in Democratic-leaning counties, arguing that voters, primarily military or overseas, did not provide photo identification or an ID exception form. he alleged voter identification issues and potential voter fraud.
Democrats accused Griffin of attempting to undermine the election results. The state Supreme Court ultimately upheld the validity of the votes, and Riggs’ victory maintained the court’s 5-2 Republican majority.
What’s next
The lawsuit could lead to significant changes in North Carolina’s voter registration processes, perhaps requiring the state to update its forms and procedures to fully comply with HAVA regulations regarding voter identification. The outcome of the case may also influence future election-related legal challenges in the state.