NCFRW Present Voter ID Petitions

PRESS RELEASE

February 2, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact:  Valerie White
336-707-0022 ncgopgal@hotmail.com
North Carolina Federation of Republican Women

NCFRW Present Voter ID Petitions--Support for Voter ID legislation

Republican Women deliver petitions to state legislators

GREENSBORO, NC: Members of the North Carolina Federation of Republican Women (NCFRW) visited the General Assembly on February 1, 2011 to present party leaders with signatures from thousands of citizens across the state that support Voter ID legislation. "Republican women across the state have been working to raise awareness about the importance of this issue. Our petition urges the legislature to support legislation that will require voters of North Carolina to provide proof of eligibility before being allowed to cast a ballot in any election. We pledge our support and will now concentrate our efforts to help with the passage of the bill," said Dena Barnes, NCFRW President.

Representative Dale Folwell (R-Forsyth) and House Majority Leader Rep. Paul Stam (R-Wake) welcomed NCFRW and local club members to the petition presentation. Several Republican Representatives were attendance to express their appreciation and promised that this legislation will protect the integrity and reliability of the electoral process and prevent voter irregularities. There is discussion that the bill will be modeled after a law in Indiana, which the US Supreme Court has ruled is constitutional. Those present included Representatives George Cleveland, Larry Brown, Ruth Samuelson, Marilyn Avlia, John Faircloth, Mike Hager, Jonathan Jordan, Phil Shepard, Fred Steen II, Dan Ingle, William Current, Sr. and Bill McGee. Presenting the petitions on behalf of the NCFRW included NCFRW State President Dena Barnes, Grassroots Activism Chair Joyce Krawiec and Immediate Past President Valerie White.

Twenty-seven states now have broader voter identification requirements than what federal HAVA (Help America Vote Act)mandates. In these states, all voters are asked to show identification prior to voting. In no state is a voter turned away from the polls-all states have some type of recourse for voters, including casting provisional ballots.

"Surely, if we must provide ID to enter some federal buildings, board an airplane, get a hunting license, or even cash a check, we can ask our citizens to prove that they are qualified voters," says Joyce Kraweic, Grassroots Activisim Chair.

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