North Carolina’s new Voter ID Law changes a lot of voting policies, but most notably for UNCWilmington students, it will bar the use of university ID as an adequate form of identification.

House Bill 589, signed into law by Gov. PatMcCrory in August will require out-of-state students to get a state-issued ID to cast a ballot in future elections.  UNCW students who are NC residents will be able to use their driver’s license as a valid form of ID.

To give people time to obtain the appropriate ID, the law will not go into effect until 2016. 

McCrory signed the controversial bill into law in August, amidst a fiery debate from both sides of the political spectrum.  He said the bill would safeguard the “integrity” of the voting process.

NC Republicans strongly supported the bill from the beginning and expressed a fear of voter fraud as the driving force behind it. 

According to 2012 election data from WNCN, only 121 out of the state’s nearly 7 million ballots were referred to the appropriate district attorney as alleged cases of voter fraud.

NC Democrats and opponents of the bill speculate it is a poised tactic by GOP-controlled state legislature to reduce the number of minority and student votes. 

“I think it [the student demographic] is a target,” said Craig Burnett, UNCW assistant professor of political science. “The younger voters are much more closely aligned with the Democratic party.”

Since university IDs will no longer be accepted, out-of-state students would have to register in-state to vote. In addition to the backlash some students will endure, individuals of lower socioeconomic status might experience similar restrictions with bill.

James Northrop, president of UNCW College Republicans, believes the bill’s goal centers more on a “common sense” addition to the voting process than preventative measures of fraud. 

“This new law is a common sense modernization of our elections, and it’s simple; it doesn’t prevent anyone from voting,” Northrop said. “You need an ID to do anything—going to an R-rated movie, purchasing alcohol, opening a bank account.” 

Northrop finds the purported link between the bill and its restricting minority and student votes absurd and racist. He admits the bill does draw a unique distinction with individuals of lowersocioeconimic status.  But if they are beneficiaries of social programs, then they should possess state IDs to begin with, he said.

“Any kind of government assistance—unemployment benefits, welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, social security—you need an ID to get,” Northrop said. 

Alyssa Guberman, a member of UNCW’s College Democrats and District Chair of Young Democrats, is an out-of-state student and views the bill as an impingement on her voting rights. 

“This bill will deny a large group of North Carolinians the right to decide who will represent them and their issues, with a disproportionate number of them being those who have historically voted democratic,” Guberman said. 

She finds the parallels between voting and adult privileges such as purchasing alcohol, going to R-rated movies and driving a car are unequivocal comparisons to a constitutional right. 

In addition, Guberman believes the law’s effect will negate her voice because attending school and being a NC resident are not mutually exclusive. 

“I must adhere to state and local laws,”Guberman said. “These laws affect me for approximately three-fourths of the year; why shouldn’t I get the chance to have my voice heard where I am affected the most?”

In addition to the voter ID requirement, the law also reduces the number of early-voting days from 17 to 10.  Critics of the law say this will discourage people that usually take advantage of early voting from participating at all.

Burnett explained that limiting flexibilities to early voting discourage en masse group voting. He said that African American church groups represent one type of early voting demographic that often utilize this opportunity. 

“Anytime you increase the burden of restricting to vote, you’re also going to increase the probability that they [people of low socioecnomic status] won’t vote,” Burnett said. “Now, that is all correlated with whether or not the individual has time to figure this out—so time matters.” 

Although the state promised to issue the first wave of voter IDs free of charge, obtaining one may prove to be another strenuous ordeal for some. Burnett said that less well off individuals may focus their time on their jobs, children, and overall survival. So finding the time to replace or receive an ID might take a back seat to other priorities.  

Dr. Aaron King, UNCW professor of Political Science, warned students to make themselves aware of the new law before forming their opinions from what the media is saying.

Thirty-three other states have enacted some form of voter ID requirement, said King.  The cries from both sides of the bill created a media firestorm that has divided the state in half. Likewise, people will talk even if they don’t have all the facts.

“Perception is equally or maybe even more important than reality,” King said. “Right now, most people don’t have a great deal of understanding or knowledge about the new law, but at the same time, many people are eager to offer opinions.” 

Whether or not the bill diminishes voter fraud, facilities the voting process, disenfranchises students or minorities is yet to be clear. But that doesn’t prevent people and politicians from employing these statements as ammunition to win votes for their respective party.

“At the end of the day, you can’t get rid of politics—Politicians will be politicians,” King said.