Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Statement on Court of Appeals Ruling in North Carolina Voting Case

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch released the following statement today after the ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in the North Carolina voting case: 

“I am pleased that the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has struck down a law that the court described in its ruling as “one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern North Carolina history.”  As the court found, this law was passed with discriminatory intent.  It targeted African-Americans “with almost surgical precision” – imposing stringent ID requirements, reducing same-day registration and constraining out-of-precinct voting to place barriers between citizens and the ballot box.  And it sent a message that contradicted some of the most basic principles of our democracy.  The ability of Americans to have a voice in the direction of their country – to have a fair and free opportunity to help write the story of this nation – is fundamental to who we are and who we aspire to be.  Going forward, the Department of Justice will continue our work to protect that sacred right for all.”