Court of Appeals Weighs NAACP Challenge to Voter ID Amendment

North Carolina's appellate court hears arguments over whether racially gerrymandered maps invalidate 2018 constitutional amendments on voter ID and income tax caps.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Law

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a pale stone state building facade with a single flagpole, set against a grey field in navy and cream tones. — The North Carolina Court of Appeals heard arguments Tuesday on whether racially gerrymandered maps invalidate 2018 voter ID and income tax amendments approved by voters. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should North Carolina require photo ID to vote in person?

The North Carolina Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the North Carolina NAACP's lawsuit challenging two 2018 constitutional amendments, which mandate photo ID for in-person voting and lower the income tax cap from 10 percent to 7 percent. A three-judge Superior Court panel unanimously upheld both amendments in September 2025.

Why it matters

The lawsuit contends the legislature that placed the amendments on the ballot was elected under racially gerrymandered district maps, a claim that could determine whether voters' approved changes to state law stand. The outcome will shape how the state's constitutional amendment process is reviewed when the underlying districting is alleged to be unlawful.

The NC NAACP lawsuit remains pending before the North Carolina Court of Appeals after a September 2025 Superior Court panel unanimously upheld both amendments. The NAACP asks the appellate court to reverse that decision and allow the case to proceed under the 2022 N.C. Supreme Court framework.

The players

North Carolina NAACP

The state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights organization that brought the lawsuit against the 2018 amendments.

G. Bryan Collins

A Wake County Superior Court judge who ruled in the NAACP's favor in 2019 before the decision was reversed on appeal.

The details

The NAACP argues the 2018 General Assembly lacked authority to place the amendments on the ballot because its district maps were racially gerrymandered, citing the 2017 Supreme Court decision in Covington v. North Carolina. The case has moved through Wake County Superior Court, which ruled for the NAACP in 2019, and a split Court of Appeals panel that reversed in 2020 before the state Supreme Court ordered further review in 2022.

2018: Both constitutional amendments passed, two months after the NAACP filed its lawsuit.
2019: Wake County Superior Court Judge G. Bryan Collins ruled in favor of the NAACP.
2020: A split Court of Appeals panel reversed the decision.
2022: The N.C. Supreme Court ordered further review.
September 2025: A three-judge Superior Court panel unanimously upheld both amendments.

Political Context

The NAACP's argument builds on the U.S. Supreme Court's 2017 Covington v. North Carolina ruling, which found 28 state legislative districts unconstitutionally racially gerrymandered. The challengers contend that the same flawed maps produced the legislature that placed the voter ID and income tax amendments on the ballot.

If the amendments are struck down, the photo ID requirement for in-person voting and the lower 7 percent income tax cap would be invalidated. The ruling would directly determine which voting rules and state tax limits apply to residents across North Carolina.

The takeaway

Constitutional amendments can be challenged years after voters approve them when the process that placed them on the ballot is alleged to be flawed. Readers tracking North Carolina's voting and tax rules should follow the Court of Appeals decision, which will determine whether the 2018 changes remain in force.