RALEIGH – North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory says he will sign into law a Republican-backed bill making sweeping changes to how and when citizens can vote, even though he is not familiar with some of its key provisions.

Gov. McCrory praised the bill in a media conference Friday, saying it will restore faith in elections by requiring voters to present government-issued identification at the polls. But when The Associated Press asked the GOP governor how three particular provisions of the bill would help prevent voter fraud, he instead began talking about other sections of the legislation.

When pressed specifically about a provision ending a popular high school civics program that encourages students to register to vote in advance of their 18th birthdays, Gov. McCrory replied he had not seen that part of the bill.