Earlier today, the Justice Department announced it is joining the lawsuit against Texas' new voter ID law. If The Charlotte Observer editorial board is to be believed, North Carolina's equally restrictive voter ID law could be next.
The Observer managed to get its hands on the statement Holder issued earlier today announcing that he is moving against the Texas law, and paid particular attention to this sentence:
This represents the Department’s latest action to protect voting rights, but it will not be our last.
To the
Observer's mind, it's very likely Holder will give the hairy eyeball to North Carolina's law as well.
Holder's challenge seeks to block the (Texas) law entirely, alleging that it "was adopted with the purpose, and will have the result, of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race, color or membership in a language minority group."
Given the criticism of North Carolina's law as one of the most vote-suppressing in the nation, it would be surprising if Holder didn't challenge it as well. Besides requiring photo ID, the legislation cuts early voting days, makes it harder for students to vote and ends provisional balloting, same-day registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, among other changes.
We can only hope.