Recent cases of voter fraud that have come to light in North Carolina have rekindled the fight to overturn Gov. Bev Perdue's veto of a voter identification bill proposed in the spring.
The bill, proposed by Reps. Ric Killian, David Lewis and Tim Moore, would have required all voters to present photo identification at the polls and was vetoed by Perdue over the summer on the grounds it would have prevented open access to voting.
"I was happy she vetoed it," said George Taylor, professor of political science at Elon University. "I don't see a need for it. It's just another way to keep people from voting."
In a previous interview, Rep. Killian said voter fraud was the primary motivation behind the bill. Investigations were recently filed against four individuals for voter fraud, but it is largely not a problem in North Carolina according to Taylor.
"We must always be vigilant in protecting the integrity of our elections," Perdue said in a statement regarding the veto. "But requiring every voter to present a government-issued photo ID is not the way to do it. This bill, as written, will unnecessarily and unfairly disenfranchise many eligible and legitimate voters."
If the bill had passed, those without photo identification would have been able to acquire IDs from the government free of charge. But taking time out of work or finding transportation to the county board of elections could have presented a challenge for those without readily available means of transportation.
"There was a time in North Carolina history when the right to vote was enjoyed only by some citizens rather than by all," Perdue said. "That time is past, and we should not revisit it."