Voting Law Forum a Success
By Phyllis Makuck
Under severe storm warnings, 65 people made their way to Joslyn Hall at
Carteret Community College on April 29 to learn about North Carolina’s new
voting law. Speakers Lindy Robinson, director of Carteret County Board of
Elections, and Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy NC, did excellent
jobs explaining details of this complex new law and answering questions from
the audience. Rev. Sally B. White of the Unitarian Coastal Fellowship served as
moderator, setting a strong non-partisan tone and keeping the program on target.
Here’s some of what I learned:
• The new law eliminates same-day voter registration and DMV pre-
registration for teens getting their first driver’s license.
• Early voting is one week shorter, but hours have been extended to
compensate. So, the number of early-voting hours is the same.
• Out-of-precinct votes are no longer counted unless the voter has made an
unreported move and votes at his/her former precinct.
• Straight-party voting is eliminated. In general elections, candidates are
identified by parties, but must be voted for individually.
• Effective January 2016, one of the following photo IDs will be required
to vote: a current North Carolina driver’s license, a current Department
of Motor Vehicles ID card. Military ID, Veterans ID, US Passport, Tribal
Enrollment Card.
• The following cannot be used to meet the photo ID requirement; student
ID cards, employee ID cards, credit cards, etc.
• Photo IDs will not have to match exactly the name and address on One’s
voter’s registration as long as a poll worker can identify the voter from the
photo.
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• Voters over 70 can use driver’s licenses that expired on or after their 70th
birthdays.
• Disabled voters or voters who do not feel physically fit to go into a polling
place may opt for curbside voting. Curbside voters do not have to show
a photo ID. They do need to show two identifying documents such as
a social security card, utility bill, paycheck, bank statement or other
government issued document showing name and current address.
• Absentee voters must send the Board of Elections an official request form
to receive a mail-in ballot. They can no longer just write a letter requesting
a ballot.
Bob Hall explained the role of his organization, Democracy North Carolina,
which has been in existence for over 20 years. It is nonpartisan and committed
to increasing voter participation, eliminating fraud and reducing the influence
of big money in politics. He talked about other aspects of North Carohna’s new
law involving campaign financing, explained concerns his organization has with
the new law and some ways to ensure “fairness, accessibility and security.” These,
he said, are the three requirements for having “a government that is truly of the
people, for the people and by the people.”
He made the strong point that voting is a time when the playing field is level. It
doesn’t matter your age, race, economic status, etc. Everyone’s vote counts the same.
Here are some of his concerns:
• The new voting law raises campaign financing limits, eliminates public
financing for nonpartisan positions such as judicial seats, gives parties
greater flexibility in spending corporate money, requires less disclosure foi
outside spending and repeals the “Stand by Your Ad” law.
• In the past, same-day registration provided an opportunity for 100,000
or more voters to register and vote, and
DMV voter pre-registration resulted
in about 60,000 new young voters.
Compensating for the loss of these
voter registration programs will require
concerted efforts.
This article does not present every
facet of the new law or exhaustively
report all the good information shared
at the April 29 forum. The event ended
with active participation of those
attending to identify strategies for
educating the public, registering new
voters and publicizing coalition events.
The Voter Rights Coalition of Cartere
County will work with the Board of
Elections and with Democracy NC
to continue to educate the public and
ensure that every eligible voter who
wants to vote can vote.
Both of these organizations welcome
your participation in and support for
their education, photo ID and voter
registration efforts. Also, if you have a
group who would like to learn about the
new law or just want more information,
you may contact VoterRightsCarteret@
gmail.com. You may also go to www.
democracy-nc.org or call the Carteret
County Board of Elections at 728-8460.
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4 The Shoreline I June 2014