More than 70,000 North Carolinians remain on a list of voters whose registration is incomplete, according to the state Board of Elections. Voters who don’t update their registration before going to the polls this year could be forced to cast a provisional ballot, triggering a review of whether their vote should count.
The issue stems from a voter registration form North Carolina had been using for decades, which did not make it clear that new voters had to provide either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number. Read more about how we got here from our partners at The Assembly.
The state board started reaching out to voters with faulty registration in August with instructions about how to update their records, an effort they called the Registration Repair Project.
Here’s how to figure out if you’re on the list and if so, how to update your registration.
Who is on the list? How do I know if I’m on it?
As of Wednesday, 70,597 voter registrations are still listed as missing information.
If you are on the list, you should have received a letter from the state Board of Elections, which started sending out notices to voters in August.
Want to double check? Go to this searchable database and enter your name. You can also search by county.
If I’m on the list, how do I ‘fix’ my registration?
The state Board of Elections gives three methods to update your voter registration:
- Online: if you have a valid NC driver’s license or NCDMV ID number, you can visit this website, log in as a guest, and simply click “Yes” when asked if you want to update your voter registration.
- In Person: go to your county’s Board of Elections office with your driver’s license, NCDMV ID or to provide the last four digits of your social security number. You can find your county’s office here.
- On paper: if you got a letter from the state Board of Elections about your registration, fill out the form that came with it. The letter should have come with a pre-addressed and pre-paid return envelope.
Can I call the local Board of Elections to make the update?
No. Registration can only be updated online, in-person or through the mail.
What happens if I go vote, but I am told I’m still on the list?
Elections workers will give you a provisional ballot. You will also have to fill out a form that asks for your driver’s license number, NCDMV ID number, or the last four digits of your social security number.
County elections boards meet after Election Day to determine if voters who cast provisional ballots provided enough information for their votes to count.
What if I don’t have the required paperwork?
If you do not have a driver’s license, NCDMV ID number or social security number, the state Board of Elections says you must indicate this on a new voter registration form or on the letter they sent in August.
North Carolinians must register to vote at least 25 days before Election Day. You can also register at a one-stop early voting site, but must have been living in your county of residence for at least 30 days.
The deadline to register for this year’s March 3 primary elections is this Friday, Feb. 6. The early voting period runs from Feb. 12 to Feb. 28.
This article first appeared on NCLocal and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.