ACLU Comment on Supreme Court Action on North Carolina Voting Law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 212-549-2666, media@aclu.org

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court today stayed an appeals court order that restored same-day registration and reinstated out-of-precinct provisional voting in North Carolina in time for the midterm election. Those provisions are being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Last week, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked them from taking effect, prompting the state to seek a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court. The court has not yet ruled on the merits of the case.

The following is a statement from Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project:

Thousands of North Carolinians will be left out of the upcoming election. More than 20,000 North Carolina voters used same-day registration in the last midterm election. While this order is not a final ruling on the merits, it does allow a law that undermines voter participation to be in effect as this case makes its way through the courts.

Allison Riggs, an attorney with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, said:

We believe voters should be able to participate in elections without having to navigate unjust obstacles. Unfortunately that will not be the case for North Carolinians heading into the upcoming election.

The case, League of Women Voters of North Carolina v. North Carolina, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.

Today’s order is at: https://www.aclu.org/voting-rights/league-women-voters-north-carolina-et-al-v-north-carolina-supreme-court-order

More information is at: https://www.aclu.org/voting-rights/league-women-voters-north-carolina-et-al-v-north-carolina