The House is moving forward with a bill that would require voter identification. As Barry reports, they will hold public hearings, call experts in to testify and ask for input, suggestions and thoughts from folks across North Carolina.  They will begin to examine all facets of voter id beginning on March 12 and hope to have a bill for the House to vote on sometime in April.

House Election Law Committee chair, Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett) is to be commended for ordering a full and open debate on voter identification.  JLF received a letter seeking our input.  Here’s what they’d like to know:

a)     What is your understanding of the current registration process for normal registrations and same day registrations?  What information is required of the voter and who is authorized to register voters?

b)     What is the process for purging the system of ineligible or deceased voters?

c)     How does the State Board search for or identify deceased voters? How does this compare to systems used in other states such as South Carolina, Indiana, Texas, Georgia or Florida?

d)     What types of information must prospective voters produce when they register to vote?

e)     Who may register a voter besides county board election officials? How does that process work?

f)      May voters register by mail or internet and if so what information must they produce and how may they produce the information?

g)     How does the State Board define an inactive voter and is this definition statutory or something that has been adopted by the State Board?

h)     How and when are inactive voters removed from the voting rolls?  Is this process defined by statute or something adopted by the State Board?

i)      Will non-citizens who have been issued driver’s license ID cards, per the Attorney General’s recent opinion, be identified so as to preclude their use of a driver’s license as proof of citizenship at the time of any attempt to register to vote?

j)      I understand that there is a consortium of states who work together to check whether voters are registered in multiple states.  Is this correct?  Does North Carolina participate?  If not, why not and what would the State Board or legislature need to do to join this consortium?

k)     Do you have any information which explains the number of voters in North Carolina who lack a picture ID, including a picture issued by the state of North Carolina, the United States government, or any branch of the United States military, or any other governmental agency?

l)      Please explain any voter identification formula that your group would support or offer as a solution for voter identification requirements?

m)   Please provide any other thoughts or comments you have regarding voter identification that would be helpful to the General Assembly’s understanding of this issue?

Any ideas you’d like to offer?  Comment here and let’s get the discussion going!