Court restores voters who were purged from polls

Published November 5, 2016

by Mark Binker, WRAL, November 4, 2016.

North Carolina must allow voters whose registrations were challenged by activists in Cumberland, Moore and Beaufort counties to vote, .

U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs also ordered the state to stop using the challenge process in question during the 90-day period before elections. Any voters who were removed in the three counties due such challenges, she said, should be restored and allowed to vote in this election, even if they were already turned away.

"The Court concludes that the balance of the equities and public interest factors weigh decidedly in favor of protecting eligible voters who are being removed from the voter rolls and having their registrations canceled based on a single mailing returned undeliverable," Biggs wrote, adding that was particularly so "where, as in this case, the voter is often unaware that the registration is being challenged."

Legally speaking, Biggs' order is a temporary block. A full trial on the issue will be held after the election. Between 3,500 and 4,000 voters will be affected by this decision.

Individual plaintiffs whose registration had been challenged and the state chapter of the NAACP {{a href="story-16179784"}}filed suit challenging the process used to remove the voters. Under that law, any voter can challenge another voter's registration if they live in the same county. That challenge results in a hearing where the voter who is challenged can present evidence of his or her residence. Local elections officials then make the decision as to whether to remove a voter.

At a hearing earlier this week, Biggs described that process as "insane," and her ruling curbs its use going forward. During the trial, there was evidence some of the mailings used to create the challenge were sent to the wrong address, while others were evacuated due to Hurricane Matthew. Still others moved within the county but were still eligible to vote. But county boards upheld those challenges because the voters in question didn't attend a hearing.

"We are working quickly to establish the procedures necessary to comply with the court order between now and Election Day," said Kim Strach, director of the N.C. State Board of Elections.

Advocates who brought the suit said they were pleased with the ruling.

"This emergency injunction will help make sure not a single voter’s voice is unlawfully taken away," said the Rev. William Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP. "The NAACP is defending the rights of all North Carolinians to participate in this election, and we will not back down and allow this suppression to continue."

Barber also described the process as a "race-driven" attempt to discourage black voting.

James Brower, an army veteran and voter whose registration was challenged, spoke to reporters on a conference call.

"I was denied my right to vote and it has been restored," Brower said.

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November 5, 2016 at 9:50 am
Norm Kelly says:

Barber once again proves he is a deluded, sycophant of the demon party. He blathers on about race in every situation. Is there a single situation in the past 16 years where Barber HASN'T seen racism at work? Why does ANYONE pay attention to this arch left-wing zealot, who is actually working against the benefit of blacks?

On another but similar note, both the NAALCP and the demon party show us that it's never appropriate to remove anyone from the voting rolls. No matter the process used to purge anyone from the voting rolls, left-wing zealots, those duped like the rev, will continue to fight the process. Why? Can there be any explanation other than promoting & allowing voter fraud? NO! You doubt this? Because you are also a dupe of the demon party or because you believe removing those who have died or moved is somehow racist? What part of insuring the voting rolls are accurate works AGAINST blacks? When more than 100% of a districts votes show up for a single candidate, does that make the duped rev wonder how it happens? Or is he, like all demons, content that the obvious voter fraud worked in favor of demon pols?

How about when the NuBlakPanthaParty stands at the voting place with military uniform & billyclub in hand, does that ring of voter fraud for all you arch left-wing zealot low-information demon supporters out there? And remember it was blacks at the highest levels of Washington that decided this voter intimidation was legal and ignored.

What part of the court striking down NC's voter ID law where they said blacks are less sophisticated, and various other forms of 'less than', encourages blacks like the rev? Why when the court states that blacks are inferior do blacks accept it? Why when Hildaliar panders to blacks by speaking 'black' do blacks accept it? Why when the rev blathers on about racism at every turn do blacks seem to accept it? At what point will blacks stand up for themselves and denounce these f00ls? What about all the times some conservative or Republican says the most benign thing and demons, media allies, and black 'leaders' come out to claim racism? When that individual meant nothing even remotely related to racism, it's still declared, yet when the court specifically states that blacks are 'less than', inferior, suddenly it's a celebration?

At what point will demons allow dead people and illegal aliens to be purged from voting rolls? If NONE of the current methods are acceptable to demons for removing ineligible voters, please present a plan that you will approve of. Demons, especially the current liar occupier, love to proclaim that Republicans want to repeal & replace socialized medicine yet they have not produced an alternative. The lie is that they know alternative plans HAVE been proposed, but they aren't central planner-style government control plans, so demons automatically reject the alternative. Demons will NEVER support a system that relies on free-enterprise, private business being involved in any way with an alternative plan. The only plan demons accept is one where THEY are in control.

Just like voter roll purges. Unless demons get to determine who is eligible and who isn't, demons will object. Yet, demons are not willing to present a workable plan or any plan. They actually hope that illegal votes, ineligible voters, will put them back in power so the problem can be swept under the rug once again. And, if, God forbid, voters are crazy enough to put demons back in the majority, suddenly gerrymandering will be a thing of the past. Demons won't do anything but abuse gerry, but it will not be editorialized as a problem any more, and demon pols won't whine about gerry. Yes, demons and media allies will continue to whine; they will find something to whine about. It IS their default response, so I'm not saying they will stop whining; they are not capable of doing so. It's just they will no longer whine about gerry! And the rev will not whine about gerry or snake districts either because he is firmly on the demon plantation; he is perfectly willing to continue to mislead his flock if demons in power ask him to!