WINSTON-SALEM —  Three voting rights organizations announced their appeal today of the recent federal court decision upholding restrictions to same-day registration in Senate Bill 747 (SB 747), which targeted the voices of North Carolina’s youngest voters and unnecessarily put their ballots at risk of rejection based on administrative processes outside their control.   

Plaintiffs the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, Democracy North Carolina, and North Carolina Black Alliance are represented by Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) and pro bono counsel Steptoe LLP and McDermott Will & Schulte LLP. They contend the court’s recent decision did not apply the proper legal analysis to fully consider the realities facing college students and first-time voters in North Carolina, who are already grappling with increased barriers to the ballot, including limited student voter ID availability and crackdowns on early voting sites on college campuses.  

Young voters are an increasingly powerful voice in North Carolina elections. If the targeted, coordinated efforts to suppress their participation, as documented in the trial record, are allowed to stand, their votes and their future lifelong civic engagement will be jeopardized. The plaintiffs will continue to fight to ensure every eligible voter has their voice protected from these threats. 

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