The latest Civitas poll, taken earlier this month, has found that a large majority of likely North Carolina unaffiliated voters continue to support legislation requiring voters to show a photo ID.

We’re not surprised.

The support for voters to show a photo identification has been strong in North Carolina for the past few years. Civitas polling of likely voters show 64 percent were in favor back in 2013, 74 percent in favor in 2016 and, in the most recent polling, 71 percent are in favor.

“There is nothing surprising about the overwhelming support unaffiliated voters show for voter ID legislation,” said Civitas Elections Policy Analyst Susan Myrick. “Most North Carolinians want the integrity of North Carolina’s elections protected, including unaffiliated voters, who are the most rapidly growing voting bloc in our state.”

Those who strongly or somewhat oppose such a law — which has dwindled from 34 percent to 27 percent between 2013 and 2017 — are obviously doing so for three basic reasons: because of such illogical thinking as simply being against anything Republicans propose; because they are allowing their thinking to be shaped by narrow-minded groups like the NAACP; and/or because it would help to curtail the questionable vote-getting organizations like the Bladen Improvement Association practice.

We will use, as an example of the BIA talking out of both sides of its mouth, the following church announcement received at regular intervals here at the Bladen Journal:

The Baldwin Branch Missionary Baptist Church “Clothes Closet” will be open on Saturday, March 26 from 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Clothing will be available for the entire family. Their food pantry, “From His Table to Yours” will be open 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Identification and personal transportation required. No fees are involved to receive assistance from either ministry. Baldwin Branch is located at 4047 NC 242 Highway South; Elizabethtown NC.

The sender of the announcement is Arthur Bullock, a county commissioner and member of the BIA. The organization and Bullock oppose the voter-ID law because it supposedly hinders the ability of minorities to cast a ballot, yet such an ID requirement doesn’t hurt their chances to obtain free clothing and food assistance.

Go figure. Let us say we think both voters AND those taking advantage of assistance programs should have to show a valid ID.

We hope our state Republicans continue to pursue a common-sense voter ID law. It just plain makes sense to help close the real or perceived loopholes that now exist.

***

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Common sense is a lot like deodorant … the people who need it the most never use it.” (Unknown)