North Carolina Moves to Tighten Election Laws

North Carolina's election laws could undergo a major makeover under a proposed bill under consideration in the state Senate.

Lawmakers are proposing changes that would require voters to show government-issued IDs, cut the number of early voting days, and end several forms of voter registration, the Charlotte Observer reports.

"What we have before us is a reform of an outdated, archaic election code," state Sen. Bob Rucho, a Republican, told the newspaper. The bill "re-establishes a confidence in our election process, and therefore our government."

Rucho said the bill will "restore integrity" to North Carolina's voting system and prevent fraud.

But critics worry the legislation would make voting more difficult for minorities, the elderly, the poor, and students.

According to the Observer, the House passed a "more lenient" voter ID law earlier this year, which allows for several forms of ID to vote.

The Senate's version would kill same-day registration, cutting early voting by a week, and ending the preregistration of high school students.