VOTER ID ON TRIAL: WHY SIMPLE VOTING PATHS MATTER
It almost seems unbelievable to still be discussing the need for a simple and direct path for North Carolina citizens to cast their ballots. Yet, we are at it again with voter ID. North Carolina’s 2013 voter ID law was overturned for targeting African-American voters “with almost surgical precision,” according to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2016. The 2018 law, whose intent is to implement the constitutional amendment to require photo ID to vote is now in state court facing accusations of racial discrimination.
North Carolina voting laws have been changing constantly since the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back provisions of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. These ongoing changes have fed persistent confusion and misconceptions about voting rules, and You Can Vote has been working overtime to address them.
Ensuring voters are not deterred from voting due to the vast public confusion regarding eligibility and ID requirements is a monumental undertaking. We are (and must be) committed to providing North Carolina voters with accurate, timely, and culturally competent election information to empower them to make their voices heard at the ballot box every election — their right under law.
It is daunting for community leaders and volunteers who are familiar with elections regulations and rules to stay abreast. Imagine how overwhelming it is for first-time voters — those more likely to lack a photo ID — to learn that in order to vote under the law in question you must advocate for yourself at the polls by requesting a “reasonable impediment” attestation form. This form needs to be completed before being offered a ballot and must be reviewed by the County Board of Elections before the ballot is accepted.
When this law was in place for the 2016 primary election, 1,419 of these provisional ballots were rejected because voters’ forms were deemed incomplete. Decisions about whether to accept or reject a ballot varied wildly from county to county, and ballots were counted in an inconsistent and arbitrary manner. Some voters were simply turned away and not offered a form from a poll worker. This was partly due to the inconsistent training of poll workers who found it difficult to stay updated on confusing ID laws.
A new provision funded in 2019 allowed voters to obtain a free voter ID from their county board of elections. While on the surface, this provision seems to address voters’ needs, the reality is that it fails to meet the needs of all voters.
County boards of elections keep regular business hours, but these hours can be inconvenient for citizens who may not be able to take time off work during business hours, are in school, or lack childcare during these hours. Each county board of elections office serves the entire county, yet the location is often unfamiliar to residents. Some may live many miles from these offices or may lack transportation. Many are not on transportation lines, and in many counties, especially rural counties, public transportation does not even exist.
Since we launched You Can Vote in 2014, our trained volunteers have educated over 700,000 voters and helped nearly 50,000 voters get registered. Our focus is on reaching new and infrequent voters, many of whom believe they cannot vote in North Carolina. Voters’ examples include:
“I can’t vote - my address on my ID is not up to date.”
“I can’t register until I get a new ID.”
“I can’t vote because I was once convicted of a felony.”
“I can’t vote because I don’t have a permanent address.”
“I don’t vote because my vote doesn’t really matter.”
All of these statements are wrong. Yet, our volunteers hear versions of them at every voter education event we conduct. Any impediment to voting — whether it is ID requirements or restrictions to early voting — disproportionately impacts people who have a hard time taking off work; don’t have access to transportation; or have difficulty keeping up with changes to polling locations, hours and days. Who are they? Primarily people with low-wage jobs, senior citizens, people with disabilities, people of color, and young people, especially college students whose addresses can be more transient.
When we look at the requirements to vote, it should be simple to assess if you are eligible and able to cast your ballot and have it count. You CAN vote if:
You have resided in North Carolina for at least 30 days and
You are citizen of the US and
You will be 18 years old by election day and
You are not currently serving the terms of a felony conviction.
The citizens of North Carolina need clarity, consistency, and a reprieve from burdensome changes to the laws and rules about voting. It is the obligation of our state to ensure those who have the right to vote can successfully cast their ballot and let all our voices be heard.