Buncombe County offers free Photo ID cards to voters

Starting in 2023, all North Carolina voters are required to show a photo ID when voting. Buncombe County is offering any eligible voter who doesn’t already have such an ID the opportunity to get one for free. To get the free ID, eligible voters can go to the Buncombe County Board of Elections office at 59 Woodfin Place. From the County website: “No special documents are needed. Voters will simply provide their name, date of birth, and the last four digits of their Social Security number, and have their photo taken. You may also register to vote at that time if needed.” (Here is an article with more information.)

We applaud this move by Buncombe County, and want to specifically lift up the leadership of County Election Services Director Corinne Duncan and County Manager Avril Pinder in making this happen. The nationwide push to require photo IDs for voting is a nakedly racist attempt to disenfranchise Black voters, who are less likely to have the necessary identification. We appreciate this move by Buncombe County to step in and do what they can to address this problem and provide a pathway for folks to vote who would otherwise be disenfranchised.