WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 1, 2014) — A three-judge panel at the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday removed two key provisions of a voting reform law just weeks before the November elections, making it easier to cheat at the ballot box, the American Civil Rights Union (ACRU) contends.

“Their ruling reinstating same-day registration and restoring out-of-precinct voting enhances opportunities for vote fraud,” said American Civil Rights Union Chairman/CEO Susan A. Carleson.

“These common-sense measures were enacted by North Carolina’s legislature last year in order to safeguard the electoral process. The people of North Carolina deserve to be confident that their lawful vote won’t be canceled by someone committing vote fraud.”

Although the three Democrat-appointed judges did not reinstate seven days of early voting that were eliminated by the new law, the ruling’s gutting of the other provisions “does significant damage,” Carleson said.

The portion of the 2013 election law requiring voters to present a photo ID goes into effect in 2016, a presidential election year.

The ACRU has long supported adoption of photo voter ID laws and other electoral reforms that are designed to thwart vote fraud.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed column on Monday, Edwin Meese III and J. Kenneth Blackwell, both of whom serve on the ACRU’s Policy Board, wrote:

“As a former U.S. attorney general under President Reagan, and a former Ohio secretary of state, we would like to say something that might strike some as obvious: Those who oppose photo voter-ID laws and other election-integrity reforms are intent on making it easier to commit vote fraud.”

For more information, see www.defendelectionintegrity.org.