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Federal Judge To Halt Latest North Carolina Photo Voter ID Mandate

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A federal judge plans to block the latest attempt by North Carolina Republicans at the General Assembly to require a photo identification to vote.

A federal court announced that next week Judge Loretta Biggs will formally halt the mandate that is supposed to begin with the March primary until a lawsuit challenging it is heard. GOP leaders have been trying this decade to advance voter ID, saying over 30 states require it and it builds confidence in elections. 

Data show voter impersonation is rare, and the state NAACP says the mandate remains tainted by racial bias. The judge's order could be appealed.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.