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NC Bill Would Make It Easier To Vote By Mail In 2020

Erin Keever
/
WFAE

A group of bipartisan lawmakers in the North Carolina House has filed a bill that would make it easier for North Carolina residents to vote by mail in the 2020 election.

Under the bill filed Friday, voters could request absentee ballots by email or fax, and they would only need one witness when they fill out an absentee ballot, instead of two. The bill would also create a tracking system to assure voters that their ballots make it to the county Board of Elections, and are not lost in the mail. 

Those measures are in line with a number of requests the state Board of Elections made in March. However, the bill stops short of covering postage costs for absentee ballots, and it does not make Election Day a holiday, which the elections board had asked for.

Karen Brinson Bell, the state Board of Elections executive director, called the bill a "positive step forward" in a statement. 

"We appreciate that the General Assembly has taken our recommendations to heart and put forward a bill that ensures accessible, safe and secure elections in 2020," Brinson Bell said. "This is a positive step forward for North Carolina voters. We look forward to continuing to work with state lawmakers as this bill moves through the legislative process."

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Nick de la Canal is an on air host and reporter covering breaking news, arts and culture, and general assignment stories. His work frequently appears on air and online. Periodically, he tweets: @nickdelacanal