North Carolina judge allows virtual student IDs for voting

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A North Carolina judge has ruled that virtual student IDs can be used as valid voter identification, rejecting a Republican-led effort to block their use. The ruling follows the approval of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Mobile UNC One Card by the Democratic-led state board of elections, marking the first instance of a virtual ID being deemed compliant with state voter ID laws.

The approval was contested by the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party, which filed a lawsuit arguing that state law does not permit virtual IDs as a means of identity verification for voting. However, Wake County Superior Court Judge Keith Gregory determined that the state election board was likely to prevail in the case, stating that the plaintiffs' interpretation of the law was incorrect.

This ruling comes as North Carolina prepares for the November election, which will be the first major election since the state's voter ID law took effect. The law, passed in 2018, was delayed due to legal challenges until May 2023. North Carolina is anticipated to be a key battleground state in the upcoming presidential election, with polls indicating a close race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.