Overview
- Judge Loretta Biggs, who ruled Thursday, upheld the 2018 photo ID requirement after a federal bench trial brought by the state NAACP and local chapters.
- Her 134-page opinion said evidence showed heavier burdens on Black and Hispanic voters, yet controlling precedent compelled deference to lawmakers’ stated motives.
- The decision follows earlier 4th Circuit guidance that overturned her 2019 injunction and limited how much weight courts can give to North Carolina’s history of voting discrimination.
- Under the law, voters can get free IDs at county election offices or the DMV, and those without ID can file an exception form or show ID before results are certified.
- Civil-rights leaders called the outcome deeply disappointing and are weighing an appeal, while Republican leaders said it confirms the law’s constitutionality; the rule has been enforced since 2023 and similar ID rules exist in dozens of states.