Elections and voting experts testified before the state House Elections Committee Wednesday, just one day after a public hearing that lasted hours. Republican leaders have said they plan to introduce a bill that would require voters to present photo IDs at the polls. They say it would help fight voter fraud. But Bob Hall of Democracy North Carolina says voter fraud isn't a problem in North Carolina. He told lawmakers if it is, then they should investigate and document it.
"You can do this. You can invest some money. Give the Board of Elections, give the SBI, give some agency you trust some money to investigate and document fraud before you begin to put in place these kinds of strict measures," said Hall.
Other experts like Hans von Spakovsky of The Heritage Foundation favor photo IDs.
"This is not Jim Crow, this is not police dogs, this is not a fire hose," von Spakovsky said.
"And the idea that it is, is a disservice to those who fought the civil rights battles of the 1960s."
Von Spakovsky says North Carolina should participate in an interstate voter roll exchange so voters who've moved out of state can be expunged from the rolls.
