What you need to know to navigate NC’s new voting procedures | Opinion
It’s election season. Time to make your voice heard. This year, however, it’s important to know how to comply with new voting procedures that will affect how you cast your ballot.
Changes that were legislated last year may cause some confusion. But knowing how to navigate this new landscape will make it easier to exercise your right to vote. And to make sure your vote counts.
First and foremost — you must have an acceptable photo ID. And you need to bring it with you to your polling place. Acceptable IDs include a North Carolina driver’s license, passport, ID issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles and certain college IDs. You may view a list of acceptable IDs on the N.C. Board of Elections website. Free IDs are available at county Board of Elections offices and at state Division of Motor Vehicles offices.
Importantly, if a voter does not have an acceptable ID, they may fill out an ID Exception Form and continue to vote.
Absentee ballots must be delivered to county election boards no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, March 5 for the primary and Nov. 5 for the general election. There is no longer a grace period that allows for ballots to be counted that arrive beyond Election Day, so mail them early.
The ID requirement also applies to absentee ballots, which means voters must include a photocopy of an acceptable ID with the absentee ballot when it is mailed or delivered to county election board offices. This requirement, in addition to the necessity of two witnesses, means that it is important to read and follow the instructions on the absentee ballot very carefully.
Care must also be taken by any voters utilizing same day registration during early voting periods. Boards of election must confirm the address on same day registration forms. That process relies on a mailing being delivered to the address on the registration form. If the postcard confirming the voter’s address is returned to the board of elections as undeliverable, the voter’s ballot may not count. As a result, it is crucial that the correct mailing address is legibly printed on all forms. This is particularly important for new residents and college students whose mailing addresses may differ from their residential addresses.
Other changes in voting laws provide for more partisan political observers at polling places. This may result in more crowded polling places.
Let’s be clear. The unspoken goal of these new laws is to throw obstacles in the way of voters. Making the process more complicated and making it easier to disqualify your ballot are tactics intended to discourage voters.
The danger of these voting obstacles is that they will discourage or intimidate voters and cause them to stay home. That is not how a democracy should work. So, as we have for more than 100 years, the League of Women Voters will mobilize our 2,000 members across the state to help register voters and inform them of the processes of voting. We provide nonpartisan voting information through our website, VOTE411.org, that generates sample ballots and other useful information tailored to the person’s address.
We will strive to empower voters and work to make this year’s election turnout a true representation of the will of N.C. voters.
We cannot let those working against voters impede our ability to cast a ballot. We must empower voters to overcome the forces that would prevent them from making their voices heard. If we can achieve that, our state’s votes will reflect the true will of the voters, not the outcomes reflective of a depressed voter turnout. We can vote! We can make our vote count.
Jennifer McMillan Rubin is the president of the League of Women Voters of North Carolina.
