Washington, DC, July 29, 2016—The United States Appeals Court for the Fourth Circuit has struck down a North Carolina voter identification requirement in state law. In its decision, the three-judge panel invalidated a lower court’s ruling that upheld the law passed by the state legislature with “discriminatory intent.”

 “The federal appeals court ruling is a huge win for democracy and voting rights. All across America, state lawmakers are passing voter ID laws with the intent of disenfranchising Black, Latino, transgender, and low-income voters. Instead of denying people’s access to the ballot box, lawmakers should be pushing to reinstate critical protections previously available under the 1965 Voting Rights Act and work to ensure that everyone regardless of who they are, where they live, or their social economic status is able to exercise their right to vote,” said Russell Roybal, Deputy Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.

Last year, the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund published a Voting Rights Tool Kit for advocates working to advance voting rights. The organization has joined 102 national, state and local groups in calling on Congress to the Voting Rights Advancement Act by taking part in marches, rallies, and lobbying efforts.

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CONTACT:
Jorge Amaro
Media and Public Relations Director
213-842-7564
jamaro@thetaskforce.org