A North Carolina trial judge in Wake County denied a request from the Republican Party to block students and employees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from using a digital identification to comply with a new photo ID law. The judge, Keith Gregory, refused the temporary restraining order sought by the Republican National Committee and state GOP, according to online court records posted after a hearing. The ruling can be challenged through an appeal. The lawsuit was filed by these groups to stop the use of the mobile UNC One Card as a qualifying ID, arguing that only physical cards approved by the State Board of Elections are allowed under state law.
The mobile UNC One Card, approved by the board’s Democratic majority on Aug. 20, is the first digital ID to be accepted by the board for voting purposes. The Democratic National Committee and a UNC-Chapel Hill student group supported the board’s decision, stating that the digital ID meets the necessary security and photo requirements set by state law. They also emphasized that there is no provision in the law preventing the approval of a nonphysical card and warned that preventing its use could disenfranchise a significant number of individuals associated with the university.
Despite concerns raised by Republicans in the lawsuit that the mobile ID approval could enable ineligible voters to cast ballots, the court upheld the validity of the mobile UNC One Card for voting purposes. The approval of this digital ID comes as North Carolina, a battleground state in presidential elections, prepares for the implementation of a voter ID law passed in 2018. The law requires voters to present qualifying IDs, such as driver’s licenses, passports, or military IDs, when casting their ballots.
With early in-person voting commencing on Oct. 17 and absentee ballots set to be distributed soon, voters in North Carolina will need to adhere to the voter ID requirements established by the state. Absentee voters are required to provide a copy of a qualifying ID with their completed ballot, unless they submit a form explaining why they do not possess one.UNC-Chapel Hill has announced that students and staff can opt to obtain physical voter ID cards free of charge, in addition to using the mobile UNC One Card.