RALEIGH, N.C. — Parts of North Carolina’s new voting law, considered one of the toughest in the nation, were set aside for next month’s elections because they were likely to disenfranchise black voters, a federal appeals court panel ruled Wednesday.
In a 2-1 ruling, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit suspended provisions of a law that would have eliminated same-day registration during early voting and voided ballots cast on Nov. 4 outside of a person’s assigned precinct.
‘‘Whether the number is 30 or 30,000, surely some North Carolina minority voters will be disproportionately adversely affected in the upcoming election,’’ wrote Judge James Wynn, a former North Carolina Supreme Court justice. ‘‘Once the election occurs, there can be no do-over and no redress. The injury to these voters is real and completely irreparable if nothing is done to enjoin this law.’’
A coalition of civil rights groups and the US Justice Department challenged the law in North Carolina, where a closely watched US Senate race could determine whether Democrats retain control of the chamber.
State House Speaker Thom Tillis, a Republican challenging Senator Kay Hagan, the incumbent Democrat, said he and state Senate leader Phil Berger, also a Republican, would appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court.
Noelle Talley, spokeswoman for Attorney General Roy Cooper, confirmed that his office will also appeal Wednesday’s ruling. Cooper is a Democrat, and Republican leaders have openly questioned the veracity with which his office has defended the GOP-authored voting changes.
The American Civil Liberties Union, one of the groups challenging the law, said about 250,000 voters took advantage of rules allowing people to register and vote in one trip to an early-voting site during each of the last two nonpresidential election years.
Judge Diana Gribbon Motz dissented, saying it is too close to Election Day to force North Carolina to change procedures.
Absentee ballots were mailed Sept. 5, attorneys defending the law said in arguments at a hearing on Sept. 25.
‘‘We are concerned that changes so close to the election may contribute to voter confusion,’’ state elections board executive director Kim Westbrook Strach said. ‘‘More than 4 million voter guides have gone to the public with information contrary to today’s decision.’’