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Senate Lawmakers Unveil Voter ID Bill

North Carolina legislative building
Wikimedia Commons

Lawmakers in the state Senate have released a new version of a measure that would require residents to present photo IDs at the polls.

The bill was posted on the legislature's website this morning. It would require residents to use one of only seven qualifying forms of photo IDs in order to vote. It does not include university IDs.

The House's version of the bill, which passed three months ago, would allow UNC system and community college students to use their campus ID cards, though it excludes students at private colleges.

The newly posted Senate bill allows driver’s licenses, non-operator cards, tribal and military IDs and passports, among others. But it leaves out employer and local government identification cards.

Rules Committee Chairman Tom Apodaca says the bill also accommodates people with disabilities and nursing home residents. Democrats say the bill is designed to block voters who're more likely to vote for their party

Jessica Jones covers both the legislature in Raleigh and politics across the state. Before her current assignment, Jessica was given the responsibility to open up WUNC's first Greensboro Bureau at the Triad Stage in 2009. She's a seasoned public radio reporter who's covered everything from education to immigration, and she's a regular contributor to NPR's news programs. Jessica started her career in journalism in Egypt, where she freelanced for international print and radio outlets. After stints in Washington, D.C. with Voice of America and NPR, Jessica joined the staff of WUNC in 1999. She is a graduate of Yale University.
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