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Public Comment Period For New Voter ID, Absentee Voting Rules Open

KERI BROWN/WFDD

The North Carolina State Board of Elections is seeking public comments for voting rules related to the implementation of the new Voter ID law. 

Beginning in 2020, voters will be asked to provide photo ID when voting in-person or absentee-by-mail.

But there are some other exceptions. For example, a person can be exempt from the photo ID requirement for a religious objection or what the board calls a reasonable impediment. That includes having a physical disability or sickness.

Those same rules would also apply to absentee-by-mail voting. For those who don't have an exception, voters will be required to attach a readable copy of a valid ID when requesting or submitting an absentee ballot.

The state board is required to develop temporary rules by July 1 and permanent measures by Jan. 1.

Voters will have until July 12 to weigh in on the changes. That can be done online, by email or mail.

A public hearing on the proposed rules will be held in Raleigh next month.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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