Upon invitation from the committee, LWVNC provided testimony to the North Carolina House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform for its June 22 hearing. The committee discussed NC laws and policies regarding voter registration (including same-day registration); voter roll maintenance; voter ID implementation; absentee voting; the role of observers during vote casting and tabulation; and election integrity.
Our written testimony began:
The League of Women Voters believes voting is fundamental, and all Americans deserve the equal opportunity to make their voices heard in our democracy. This mission is central to our founding in 1920, predicated on the passage of the 19th Amendment which legally guaranteed American women the right to vote. Formed by the suffragists of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, the League began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters.
Over the past 100 years, League members have been the “boots on the ground” for voter engagement. Many members regularly volunteer as poll workers and attend county board of election meetings. This provides the League with a unique perspective in both the ability of voters to understand election procedures and the ability of county boards of election to effectively administer those procedures.
NC Election laws are very complicated, and it is critical to fully understand how all the rules, policies and procedures work together. Most people don’t think about voting until it’s time to vote and they likely won’t understand all the changes you are now proposing until they go to vote next year. The League of Women Voters works to demystify complicated processes through voter education.
