Judge hears arguments on N.C. voter ID law

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., July 7 (UPI) -- Lawyers for North Carolina argued Monday that the state's identification law does not discriminate against black voters during a hearing on a preliminary injunction.

But the first witness disagreed. Carolyn Coleman, a former director of the state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a Guilford County official, testified about the work she had done to register black voters decades ago.

"I felt like I was living my live all over again," she said, describing her emotions when the state legislature adopted the new law last year.

The law requires all voters to have approved photo ID, starting in the 2016 cycle. It also eliminates same-day registration and pre-registration for people aged 16 and 17 and cuts the number of early voting days.

Alexander Peters, representing the state, said a preliminary injunction is not needed because the law will not affect 2014 elections. He also argued that the U.S. Justice Department and other plaintiffs prefer same-day registration and other measures aimed at easing access to the polls.

"We like them, and you can't take them away," Alexander Peters gave as a summary of his opponents' arguments.