US Supreme Court Not Hearing Challenge to Ruling Striking Down NC Voter ID Law

A ruling that struck down a strict voter identification (ID) law in the US state of North Carolina will stand because the US Supreme Court has decided not to hear an appeal for the ruling, court documents said on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The ruling stated the voter ID law was passed with discriminatory intent. The three-judge panel found that the bill selectively chose identification and registration requirements, and limited the number of early-voting days in ways that intentionally targeted African-American voters.

"Decided May 15, 2017 the petition for a writ of certiorari is denied," the court documents stated.

North Carolina's new governor Roy Cooper wanted the appeal dismissed, but lawyers for the state's General Assembly wanted to continue with the case, which raised questions over who had the right to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, the documents added.

In a statement along with the denial, Chief Justice John Roberts noted the "Given the blizzard of filings over who is and who is not authorized to seek review in the court under North Carolina law, it is important to recall our frequent admonition that the denial of writ of certiorari imports no expression of opinion on the merits."

This Supreme Court decision means the July 29 ruling of the Fourth Circuit Court will stand in this case.