In a win for those opposed to a raft of voting restrictions signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory (R) last month, the North Carolina Board of Elections unanimously sided with a college student who was barred from running for office by a local country election board, the Raleigh News & Observer reported Tuesday.
Montravias King, a college senior, had been barred from running for city council because he used his college dorm address to establish residency in Elizabeth County, where he lived for the past four years. Richard “Pete” Gilbert, chairman of the county Republican Party, challenged King’s bid for a city council seat, arguing that a dorm address was temporary. The state board’s decision clears the way for King to seek office.
King’s case was one of three cases that challenged the new voting measure set to be heard by the state board Tuesday.
The controversial overhaul of the state voting system shortened early voting, required voter IDs, and ended a popular student registration program in high schools, among other new rules. Political figures like Colin Powell and Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) have publically opposed the measure.
