N Carolina Asks Court to Leave Early-Vote Schedules Intact

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Attorneys for North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and the state say an appeals court should refrain from ordering additional early in-person voting hours and dates in five counties because voting begins Thursday and the arguments for intervening are weak.

The state's lawyers responded Tuesday at the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to an emergency request filed by some voters alleging the state isn't complying with an earlier 4th Circuit ruling striking down a 2013 ballot access law.

The attorneys say that's not true and changes would confuse voters and burden election officials in Nash, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Guilford and Forsyth counties.

A lower court judge rejected the voters' arguments last week.

The 4th Circuit last summer found the 2013 law was approved with "discriminatory intent" against black voters.