Back in July 2013, I wrote at The Daily Beast: “There is good reason to think, however, that there will be a strong reaction from Democrats, minority voters, and voting-rights activists if this law passes. Litigation to bar paid voter-registration drives will probably be struck down. Activists will spend considerable energy seeking to negate the effects of these laws and to increase turnout. In addition, a law such as House Bill 589 will energize Democrats. As I’ve argued, voter-suppression efforts often backfire, perhaps increasing fundraising and turnout on the left. The bill gives Democrats a great cause to rally around in North Carolina even as they will spend significant resources fighting the restrictions.”

Today’s WUNC: “More North Carolina voters cast their ballots early this year than did in the last mid-term elections, according to State Board of Elections figures released Sunday. A new election law limited the number of early voting days but increased the total hours….Here are three possible causes for the increased turn-out: Liberal groups may have been energized to mobilize voters in response to the law passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly in 2013, reducing the number of days but increasing the number of hours for early voting, said N.C. State University Political Science Professor Andrew Taylor….Early voting is popular (more than half of voters voted early in 2012 and about a third of voters did in 2010) and may be continuing to become popular, Taylor said. The increase could be a result of increased voter interest in the high-profile and competitive U.S. Senate race between incumbent Kay Hagan and North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis, said Catawba College Political Science Professor Mike Bitzer.”