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Democracy NC: Early Voting Changes Will Harm Voters

 

RALEIGH, N.C. — Lawmakers unveiled a new proposed committee substitute to Senate Bill 325 late Wednesday night containing dramatic changes to Early Voting in North Carolina. The committee substitute was released hours ahead of a scheduled June 14 House Committee meeting. Despite public comment opposing the legislation, the bill received a favorable report and will be considered by legislators during the waning days of the N.C. General Assembly’s short session.

If approved, the Early Voting changes would take effect for the 2018 General Election.

Democracy NC’s Executive Director Tomas Lopez said these last-minute Early Voting changes once again resurrect illegal voting restrictions that will affect both voters and election officials.

“Once again, politicians in Raleigh are coming back for a second bite at voting restrictions first introduced and overturned by a federal court on 2013, without input from election officials and the public. This latest proposal not only eliminates the popular, final Saturday of early voting, disproportionately used by African-American voters, but also creates onerous requirements that will put a strain on county election officials, dis-incentivize weekend early voting access, and reduce voters’ options to cast a ballot. In addition, it requires that counties report on their list maintenance activity, paving the way for future voter purges.”

“Once again, politicians in Raleigh are coming back for a second bite at voting restrictions first introduced and overturned by a federal court on 2013, without input from election officials and the public.” –Tomas Lopez, Democracy North Carolina

SB325 in Review

Learn more about what SB325 means for Early Voting in North Carolina.

The S325 proposed House committee substitute amends North Carolina’s election statutes to require uniform minimum early voting hours and mandate that county election officials produce annual reports on list maintenance activities.

The bill’s overall changes to early voting reduce voters’ options to cast a ballot. 

  • The bill eliminates the popular, final Saturday of early voting. In 2016, 193,138 voters cast ballots that day. In 2014, 103,513 voters did so.
  • This final Saturday is also disproportionately used by African-American voters, who in 2016 made up 20.6% of voters overall but 28.9% of voters on the last Saturday of early voting.
  • The bill requires uniform weekend hours for the one Saturday and one Sunday and uniform hours (7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.) for all weekdays. It also provides that all early voting sites must be open all 17 days. The cumulative impact is a strain on election officials that could disincentivize weekend early voting access. The bill also includes language regarding list maintenance.

The bill also includes a requirement that counties report on their list maintenance activity.

  • While this language itself does not appear to change list maintenance requirements, we are concerned that legislators could introduce stricter purging requirements following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on strict Ohio rules in Husted v. APRI.

The bill was introduced late at night, with no warning. 

  • The bill was introduced late on the evening before a morning committee, with no indication that advance notice was provided to election officials.
  • County election officials are now in the midst of considering their general election early voting plans. This bill could dramatically affect those plans mid-process.

Democracy North Carolina is encouraging voters to call and email their lawmakers to ask that they oppose Senate Bill 325. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Jen Jones, 919-260-5906, jen@democracync.org

Democracy North Carolina is a statewide nonpartisan organization that uses research, organizing, and advocacy to increase civic participation, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and remove systemic barriers to voting and serving in elected office.

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