(The Center Square) – Mobile UNC One Cards, used for identification on campus of the nation’s oldest public university, will be acceptable in North Carolina elections.
In a Wake County Superior Court decision, Judge Keith Gregory ruled for the State Board of Elections that gave its approval, denying the complaint brought by the North Carolina Republican Party and the Republican National Committee. The digital ID cards are used at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and billed on the institution’s website as “most accepted card on campus.”
The lawsuit was the seventh against the state board in 52 days when filed, four of which were in a three-week blitz by the Grand Old Party.
An appeal in the quest for a temporary injunction remained possible after Thursday’s decision.
State law, says plaintiffs, only allows ID in physical form. Gregory said for Carolina students to get the mobile ID, a valid form of photo identification is needed.
The state’s more than 7.6 million registered voters have multiple options to include military or veterans photo ID card issued by the U.S. government; ID card with photo issued by the U.S. or North Carolina government for a public assistance program; tribal enrollment card with photo issued by a tribe recognized by the state or federal government, which include the Cherokee-Eastern Band, Coharie, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi-Saponi, Sappony and Waccamaw Siouan.
Additionally, there are 95 entities with approved student or government-employee photo IDs, or both.
Creating digital items, including through use of artificial intelligence, has been a subject of many polls this election cycle. A national poll from Elon University released in May said more than 3 in 4 Americans fear abuses of artificial intelligence will affect the 2024 presidential election, and many are not confident they can detect faked photos, videos or audio.
The state board was split in its decision. Chairman Alan Hirsch, Jeff Carmon and Siobhan Millan, all Democrats, voted for the mobile ID use; Republicans Stacy Eggers and Kevin Lewis were opposed.
