North Carolina's State Board of Elections has hammered out a settlement with the Department of Justice over voter registration issues, an action that ensures compliance with the Help America Vote Act and state laws. In the consent judgment signed by Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II, the Board will undertake a Registration Repair Project, which already has reduced problem registrations by 22% in less than three months. According to the N.C. State Board of Elections, this initiative will continue to help valid voters who have yet to supply either their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number to affirm their identities.
Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board, expressed that before the lawsuit was even filed, "I had made it a priority to come into compliance with the Help America Vote Act and ensure that all individuals on our voter rolls are properly registered." The project has been praised for its efficiency and bipartisan support, securing the integrity of the voter rolls while not purging any voter. The State Board has made it clear that no voter is being removed from the rolls through this project, despite needing to temporarily cast provisional ballots, as per the N.C. State Board of Elections.
The repair process involves casting provisional ballots which will count for federal contests, as long as the voter isn't disqualified for other reasons. For state and local contests, the ballot will count only if the voter's identification number validates against government databases or if the voter has previously provided the required Help America Vote Act Identification. The State Board's efforts align with the National Voter Registration Act to protect federal votes.
In cases where provisional ballots might not be counted for local contests, the State Board has mandated election officials to proactively reach out to affected voters. "County board of elections staff, while conducting provisional ballot research, must contact the voters by phone or email, where available, to encourage them to provide the required information before noon on the third business day after Election Day," the N.C. State Board of Elections stipulated. If the voter provides the necessary information by this deadline, then their entire ballot will be counted.
This agreement, unanimously approved by the bipartisan State Board on June 24, reflects a systematic approach to swiftly address and resolve compliance issues. With continued efforts, more voters are expected to update their registrations, ensuring their complete participation in the democratic process.
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