COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH,AP) -- South Carolina Republican leaders say federal officials are waging war on South Carolina with challenges to a new law requiring a photo ID to vote.
Governor Nikki Haley and legislators for the law say that it will prevent fraud.
"The will of the people, was that we want to protect the integrity of our voting process, and if you have to show a picture ID to buy Sudafed, if you have to show a picture ID to get on an a plane, you should have to show a picture ID to do that one thing that is so important to us which is that right to vote." said Governor Haley.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson repeated Tuesday that he will take the U.S. Justice Department's objections to the law to a federal court in Washington.
Gov. Nikki Haley says the fight for that law is like the state facing issues with the National Labor Relations Board as a union tried to protect workers and challenged a Boeing Co. decision to build a plant in North Charleston.
The voting law requires people to have a state-issued driver's license or ID card; a military ID or U.S. passport to vote in person.
Records show nearly a quarter of a million South Carolina voters don't have state issued photo ID's.
Opponents say it makes it tougher for the elderly, poor and blacks to vote.
"What they're trying to do is impact one thing the 2012 election. They saw the turnout in 2012 has the highest number of participation of young people, African Americans, Latinos they didnt like it..they didn't like it one bit. They're trying to supress the vote," said Democratic Senator Brad Hutto of Orangeburg.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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