North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) has promised to sign House Bill 589, which will severely restrict access to voter registration, despite the fact that he admits to not knowing all that much about some of the bill's most controversial aspects.
During an embarrassing and testy press conference, McCrory was asked about language in the bill that would end a most successful program to pre-register 17-year-olds, allowing them to vote the moment they turn 18.
Here was the Governor's response:
“I don’t know enough…I’m sorry, I haven’t seen that part of the bill.”
It's not the only thing McCrory doesn't seem to know much about. Another controversial aspect of this bill is how it will do away with same-day voter registration. Here is McCrory's justification for doing so:
“Same-day voter registration has always caused me concern,” McCrory told the AP on Friday. “Because of the difficulty in its application, and the possibility for abuse. There’s plenty of opportunity for voter registration — online, off-line, through many methods."
Only problem? North Carolina does
not have online voter registration available to state citizens. Instead, North Carolinians must have access to both the Internet and a printer, for they must download
this form and send it in to their local elections board in order to register "online."
Nevermind that the "abuse" McCrory cites as justification for doing away with same-day voter registration in the first place simply doesn't exist. That's probably why, when the AP pressed him on this issue, the Governor avoided answering.
Because he doesn't know.
It seems there's a lot about this bill McCrory doesn't understand. But he'll sign it anyway, because it will restrict access to those voters who, well, are less likely to vote for the GOP.
That is something he does understand.