Rep. Stam recently spoke on Voter ID laws at the Annual American Bar Association Meeting in San Francisco, CA on Saturday, August 6th, 2016. Below is a glimpse of some of the information he provided during his talk.
US Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
POLLS and PHOTO ID
A recent poll (April 19, 2016) out of Elon University confirms that North Carolinians “overwhelmingly support” voter ID legislation- 75% support voter ID provisions and 80% think it is fair. The breakdown reveals that 89% of white voters and 68% of African-American voters support voter photo ID while 96% Republicans, 86% unaffiliated voters and 73% Democrats support voter photo ID. Here is the link for the full article and polling data.
RACIAL POLARIZATION
Racial polarization means “a consistent relationship between [the] race of the voter and the way in which the voter votes, or to put it differently, where black voters and white voters vote differently.” United States v. Charleston County, 318 F. Supp. 2d 302, 308 (D.S.C. 2002).
A state cannot have racially polarizing laws if by those laws, minority candidates receive more than 50% of the votes.
In 2006, Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson was elected to the state Supreme Court over a former judge and white male candidate, Eric Levinson. Each candidate was equally qualified.
In 2012, NC Court of Appeals Judge Wanda Bryant, a female African American, won by 56.5% over a white male candidate, Marty McGee. Each candidate was well qualified.
In 2012, Linda Coleman, a female African-American candidate for Lieutenant Governor received 49.92% of the votes. Although she did not win, it was statistically tied.
In 2014, NC Court of Appeals Judge Cheri Beasley, a female African American, won a seat on the State Supreme Court by 5,410 more votes than a white male candidate, Mike Robinson. Each candidate was well qualified.
All of this data is available here: http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/42923/123365/Web01/en/summary.html
In 1986, African American Bill Freeman defeated Paul Stam for the State House in a district which was by memory, about 20% African American.
VOTER ID BILLS IN NORTH CAROLINA BEFORE 2013
*Indicates that the bill did not pass chamber
Sponsors: Allred; (Primary) Barnhart; Blust; Capps; Gorman; Gulley; Hilton; Justus; Mitchell; Moore; Pate; Sauls; Setzer; Walend; K. Williams;
This bill provides a means of identification for all voters parallel to that required of some voters by the Federal Help America Vote Act; to require voters to sign before voting at the polls and at early voting sites; and otherwise to bring North Carolina into compliance with the Help America Vote Act.
Sponsors: Allred; Moore; Current; Hollo; (Primary) LaRoque;
This bill requires that voters provide identification before voting.
Sponsors: Moore; Current; (Primary) Almond; Avila; Barnhart; Blackwood; Blust; Boylan; Brown; Cleveland; Folwell; Frye; Gulley; Hilton; Justus; Killian; Langdon; Neumann; Pate; Setzer; Starnes; Steen; Walend; Wiley;
This bill requires that voters provide identification before voting.
Sponsors: Moore; Current; Stam; Killian; (Primary) Avila; Barnhart; Blackwell; Blackwood; Blust; Boles; Brown; Brubaker; Burr; Burris-Floyd; Cleveland; Daughtry; Dockham; Dollar; Folwell; Frye; Gillespie; Grady; Guice; Gulley; Hilton; Holloway; Howard; Hurley; Johnson; Justice; Justus; Langdon; Lewis; McCormick; McElraft; McGee; Mills; Neumann; Randleman; Rhyne; Sager; Samuelson; Setzer; Starnes; Steen; Stevens; Stiller; Tillis; West; Wiley;
This bill requires that voters provide identification before voting.
Sponsors: Lewis; T. Moore; Killian; (Primary) Avila; Blust; Burr; Cleveland; Cook; Current; Dockham; Dollar; Folwell; Hastings; Hilton; Hollo; Horn; Hurley; Iler; Johnson; Jones; Jordan; Justice; LaRoque; McComas; McCormick; McGee; Moffitt; Randleman; Sager; Setzer; Shepard; Stone; Torbett;
This 2011 bill passed each chamber, but was vetoed by Democrat Governor Perdue. It would have required all eligible voters to present a photo ID before voting. The House failed to override the veto.
Sponsors: Davis; Daniel; Hise (Primary) Brock
This bill, filled by Republican Senators, would have amended G. S. 163-227.2, providing that one-stop voting occur no earlier than the second Thursday (currently, the third Thursday) before the election. Clarifies that a county board of elections may not conduct one-stop voting on any Sunday. Clarifies that a county board of elections may provide for one or more locations offering one-stop voting in the county, provided all sites other than the county board of elections office are open at the same time for voting. Also prohibits the State Board of Elections from approving a plan that provides for one-stop voting sites to be open at different times. Repeals GS 163-82.6A, which allows in-person registration and voting at one-stop sites, and makes conforming changes to various provisions in GS Chapter 163.
Sponsors: Tilman; (primary) Brock; Daniel; Hise; Randleman
This bill, filed by Republican Senators on March 26, 2013, would have repealed in person registration and voting at one-stop sites and established that no earlier than the second Thursday before an election can a person appear in person to request and file an absentee ballot (the current law was no earlier than the third Thursday).
- 2013, Senate Bill 235 and companion House Bill 253, Voter Protection Integrity/Every Vote Counts*
Sponsors: Republicans and Democrats
Enacts new GS 163-166.13 providing that a legally registered voter may certify his or her identity by one of two methods: (1) by signing a voter photo affidavit or by (2) presenting proper photo identification. Proposed subsection (b) provides that a voter photo affidavit is a photograph taken by a designated election official that is signed by the voter to affirm that the voter is in fact the registered voter in whose name the ballot is requested.
