Joe Biden quietly scored a legal victory in North Carolina this week, in what could prove to be a consequential development in a closely divided state.
The Biden campaign notched the win as part of a lawsuit filed a few months back by the Democratic National Committee and the North Carolina Democratic Party. The suit challenged several aspects of the Republican-backed election law, S.B. 747, that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed but the legislature overrode. The law included new rules for voters who registered and cast a ballot on the same day, requiring additional photo ID and address verification — changes Democrats pounced on.
The Dems’ lawsuit, drafted with the help of Biden campaign officials, specifically sought preliminary relief for those same-day registration provisions. Under the new law, voters opting for same-day registration but who don’t get their requirements verified on time could end up having their ballot tossed.
Late Sunday, U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder, a George W. Bush appointee, sided with Democrats and blocked one provision of the law unless it’s revised. In a 94-page filing, he wrote that the plaintiffs are likely to successfully claim that the law violates the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution and that it would result in the tossing of legitimate ballots.