Cumberland County Democratic Party

P.O. Box 2501, Fayetteville, NC 28302-2501 www.cumberlanddems.org

Vikki Andrews Chair Grant Mitchell 1st Vice Chair Tony McKinnon 2nd Vice Chair Andrew Porter 3rd Vice Chair Pam Wade Secretary Sanya Eller Treasurer

The Honorable David R. Lewis Chairman, Elections Committee North Carolina General Assembly Legislative Building 16 West Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601 March 12, 2013 RE: Voter ID Representative Lewis: The Voter ID bill is touted as a remedy for voter fraud and a preventative measure for future voter fraud. As applied in Cumberland County it would seem the Voter ID bill would be a solution in search of a problem. Please consider the following points in your deliberations of the Voter ID bill: 1. There has no proven instance of voter fraud in Cumberland County in recent history. 2. The current voting process has resulted in tremendous voter turnout which has been increased by the addition of both Early and Sunday Voting. 3. Any change that makes it more difficult for historically disenfranchised groups such as minorities & low wealth citizens to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote cannot be what our founding fathers had in mind when they penned the Constitution of the United States. 4. Furthermore, senior citizens who represent our past history and students who represent our future are equally disenfranchised by an inability to obtain possibly obscure documents or to use currently issued identification such as a drivers license or current student identification cards will be unable to participate in the voting process. Again, surely not what our founding fathers intended. 5. Senior citizens, particularly those with limited transportation options and relying on community transportation will be adversely impacted in their ability to travel to obtain records that may not exist as a result to the lack of adequate

recordkeeping that is unquestionably part of the fabric early history in North Carolina and across the nation. 6. I submit that the current law is sufficient to ensure fair and balanced elections where the will of we, the people is allowed to be heard unfettered. 7. We have a great local Board of Elections in Cumberland County and I am confident that it executes its duties in a responsible manner. I am equally confident that other Boards of Election across our great state function equally responsibly which has led to the statistically insignificant incidents of voter fraud in our state. I urge you to recognize and acknowledge that any attempt to limit any citizens access to the ballot box limits their ability to participate in one of their most fundamental of constitutionally granted rights as a citizen of the United States and this great state. Finally, I implore you and your colleagues to reconsider this action as it is not in the best interest of all of the citizens of North Carolina. Onward! Dr. Vikki Andrews Cumberland County Democratic Party Chair 910-964-5828 www.cumberlanddems.org cumberlandncdemchair@gmail.com