Do you have the right ID to be able to vote this fall?

Beginning with this fall’s town election in November, North Carolina’s residents have to show some approved form of identification to cast a ballot. It is not enough to be registered to vote; you have an additional bar to voting – the requirement that you show an acceptable form of identification with your picture.
The problem of getting a current identification card with your photograph may prove difficult for older people, especially those who do not drive or have a car.
There are a few ways older people can use ID cards they had when they were younger or still have.
If you do not have a current identification card with your photograph but still have such a card from previous employment or other agency and are over 65, you can use that card as your ID if it had not yet expired when you turned 65.
Also, there are three categories in which age is not a factor but the photo ID card may not have an expiration date or date it was issued. Those are:
*A military or veterans card issued by the U.S. government
*A tribal enrollment card issued by a tribe recognized by the state or federal government
*A photo ID card issued by an agency of the federal government or the State of North Carolina for a public assistance program.
What if you do not fit into any of the above categories but still need a photo ID before November 7?
The North Carolina State Board of Elections along with our Wake County Board of Elections (and all other county elections boards) have been working hard to provide the needed ID to everyone, doing about everything but going door to door asking if people need the ID. The state board has approved more than 100 student and employee ID cards and is still approving those who apply.
And each county election board and each NCDOT drivers license office can issue free photo ID cards. The editor recommends you use the Wake County elections office; the DMV offices allow for walk-in requests for the ID but you should go in the afternoon and there may be a waiting line. Mornings are for appointments.
It is also a bar to voting that you have to find transportation and travel to the elections office.
The Wake County Board of Elections is at 1200 North New Hope Road in Raleigh; the telephone is 919-404-4040; it is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.; the mailing address is P.O. Box 695, Raleigh, NC 27602; and the email address is vote@wakegov.com.
Why do we now have voter ID with a photograph?
After Republicans gained a majority in the NC General Assembly, they passed a law in 2013 that included voter ID, but later a federal court said it was unconstitutional because it targeted black and poor voters.
The GOP tried again in 2018, this time putting voter ID on the ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment. The amendment passed by a count of 2,049,121 to 1,643,983. However, the law detailing how it would work was struck down by the North Carolina Supreme Court before it went into effect.
That ruling was made by a North Carolina Supreme Court that was made up of four Democrats and three Republicans. The ruling was split right down party lines.
But a new Republican majority on the state’s highest court decided to revisit the case earlier this year.
The court issued a new ruling in April, reversing its own decision and requiring people to show ID at the polls.
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