NAACP, ACLU and other groups challenge North Carolina laws that suppress black voters

NAACP, ACLU and other groups challenge North Carolina laws that suppress black voters: The groups challenging the law argue the court needs to act ahead of a full trial next year to ensure no eligible voters, particularly African Americans, are denied or restricted of their right to cast a ballot.

Attorneys for the state have countered that some of the electoral changes were in place for the primary election in North Carolina in May and results showed no disproportionate hardships being imposed on minority voters.

North Carolina is among several states forced to defend changes to voting protocol, including whether requiring voters to show photo identification is constitutional. Judges have handed a string of victories to challengers in recent months, overturning voter ID laws in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arkansas.

The photo ID requirement adopted last year by North Carolina’s Republican-led legislature takes effect in 2016. But critics say it already has caused confusion and want election workers barred from discussing it at the polls this fall.