President Joe Biden secured a legal victory in North Carolina this week, marking a potentially significant development in the closely contested state. The triumph emerged from a lawsuit filed a few months ago by the Democratic National Committee and the North Carolina Democratic Party, challenging various aspects of the Republican-backed election law, S.B. 747.
The law, vetoed by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper but overridden by the legislature, introduced new requirements for voters registering and casting ballots on the same day, including additional photo ID and address verification. These changes were sharply criticized by Democrats.
The lawsuit, crafted with assistance from Biden campaign officials, specifically targeted provisions related to same-day registration. U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder, appointed by George W. Bush, ruled late Sunday in favor of Democrats. He blocked one provision of the law unless revised, stating in a 94-page filing that the plaintiffs were likely to successfully argue the law’s violation of the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Schroeder expressed concern that the law could result in the invalidation of legitimate ballots if address verification errors occurred due to issues with the U.S. Postal Service or poll workers.
While Schroeder’s ruling does not dismantle the entire law, which includes additional restrictions, removal of the three-day grace period for absentee ballots, and empowerment of partisan poll watchers, it represents a victory for President Biden. His campaign aims to make North Carolina competitive in 2024, a state he lost to Donald Trump by 1.4 percentage points in 2020. Over 100,000 North Carolina voters utilized same-day registration in the last two presidential elections, potentially influencing a closely contested rematch.
Republicans framed the law as essential for election security, while Democrats labeled it as “voter suppression.” Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez called the ruling a “huge victory for voting rights,” emphasizing the campaign’s commitment to protecting these rights.
This legal success is part of the Biden campaign’s broader strategy to combat GOP-authored voting laws. Drawing lessons from 2020, where the DNC succeeded in targeted lawsuits against voting restrictions, the campaign aims to overturn provisions before the 2024 elections.
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison hailed the ruling as the “first victory of 2024” in the fight to protect voting rights. However, Republicans downplayed its impact, emphasizing that most of the law remains in effect. Representatives Tim Moore and Grey Mills stated that the court order necessitated minor changes to one part of the bill, and they are working to ensure the entire law is in effect for the upcoming elections, emphasizing their commitment to election integrity.