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Judges Overturn North Carolina’s Monster Voter Suppression
Law in Historic Victory for Voting Rights
A Statement from Advancement Project
Special to The Truth
In a landmark ruling issued last week, the Fourth Circuit
Court of Appeals overturned North Carolina H.B. 589, a
monster voter suppression law with sweeping implications for
voters. Presented with clear evidence that provisions of the
measure would disproportionately burden voters of color, the
three-judge panel struck down the law, finding that it
violated the Voting Rights Act, the United States
Constitution and that it was enacted with discriminatory
intent. The court stated that it “cannot ignore the record
of evidence that, because of race, the legislature enacted
one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern
North Carolina History.”
Advancement Project, a national multi-racial civil rights
organization among the groups that brought suit challenging
the law, released the following statement:
“This is a victory for the people of North Carolina, who
spoke up by the thousands against a racist, undemocratic,
suppressive law,” said Judith Browne Dianis, executive
director of Advancement Project’s national office. “We
congratulate every organizer, resident and impacted persons
on this win, as well as the courageous plaintiffs and
witnesses who brought the true impact of this discriminatory
law to light. In saying that the law ‘targets
African-Americans with almost surgical precision’ in an
effort to depress Black turnout, to ‘impose cures for
problems that did not exist,’ the court stated what is known
in the Black community. Voter ID is about thinly veiled,
race-based restrictions to the polls, enacted to thwart the
growing political power of the rising American electorate.
Advancement Project will continue to stand with partners by
not only pushing back aggressively against attacks on voting
rights, but by organizing alongside partners for an
affirmative right to vote enshrined in our Constitution.
Even as we celebrate this victory, we understand that there
is much more to do.”
"North Carolina voters have been held hostage since the
enactment of this discriminatory, 'monster' voter
suppression law almost three years ago to the day,” said
Advancement Project Senior Attorney Donita Judge. “The
decision by the Appeals Court vindicates our claim that HB
589 was passed with racially discriminatory intent. Today,
North Carolina voters can breathe a sigh of relief when they
go to the polls in November since the barriers to the ballot
imposed by the North Carolina legislature will not frustrate
their most fundamental right--the right to vote. This is a
good day for democracy."
“We are gratified that the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals
recognized that North Carolina’s monster voter suppression
law violates the Voting Rights Act and the United States
Constitution,” said Denise Lieberman, senior attorney with
Advancement Project. “Indeed, the court recognized the clear
evidence that the law produced discriminatory effects and
was enacted with discriminatory intent. This ruling
validates that lawmakers cannot run roughshod over voters’
rights for their own political gain. It affirms that
discriminatory voting measures cannot stand. And in places
like Missouri, this ruling strengthens the case that local
communities are making against efforts to weaken the state’s
constitutional right to vote in order to jam through a
restrictive voter ID initiative. In Missouri, as has been
shown in North Carolina, such measures equate to a
full-force attack on the voters’ rights – especially voters
of color, who face disproportionate barriers to acquiring
photo ID. Just like the court recognized this injustice in
North Carolina, we believe that voters will recognize this
inequality in Missouri come November.”
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