NAACP: Ad by Senator Berger could suppress November vote in North Carolina
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The people behind the Moral Monday movement are long-time critics of Republican leaders in North Carolina, who they accuse of attempts to suppress voting by poor and minority citizens.
But on Tuesday, those critics filed a complaint about an ad linked to NC Senator Phil Berger as evidence of an attempt to keep people away from the polls in November.
According to Reverend William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, voters in Guilford county contacted the civil rights group after seeing an ad for Berger on a Greensboro television station. Barber told reporters Berger appears in the ad "and says 'because of me, North Carolina citizens now need voter ID' with no explanation."
In a complaint filed with the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the NAACP says that the ID is not required until 2016.
Barber said the ad is misleading, and possibly illegal. He referenced state law that prohibits attempts "to intimidate or discourage potential voters from exercising their right to vote. That is not an NAACP position. It is the general statute of the state of North Carolina, and we want the Board of Elections to investigate."
Barber also asked if Governor McCrory and Speaker Tillis knew about the ad, and called on them to denounce it.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections said Tuesday it is working to educate voters that ID is not required to vote in November. It said poll workers will inform each voter that photo identification is not required until 2016 and every precinct will post signs indicating that photo identification is not required in this election. A Judicial Election Guide is also being printed for distribution at every residential address in the state which contains a statement that voters do not need a photo ID to vote in 2014.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Berger Spokesman Ray Martin released this statement: "It is outrageous that William Barber and the NAACP are asking government regulators to suppress Senator Berger's First Amendment rights and silence his campaign's message to voters regarding Photo ID. According to the Elon Poll released yesterday, over 70 percent of North Carolinians support showing a Photo ID when voting. Senator Berger has always and will always encourage every North Carolinian who is eligible to vote to fulfill their civic duty and exercise their constitutional right to vote."
