In March, the North Carolina State Board of Elections announced that it would no longer print voter registration forms for community-based voter registration drives, citing cost concerns. This marks a departure from the Board’s longstanding practice of providing printed forms since the passage of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) in 1993.
In response, the League of Women Voters of North Carolina joined 29 other nonpartisan civic and voting rights organizations in signing a letter urging the State Board to restore access to printed voter registration forms for organized voter registration drives. (See the letter here.)
The letter emphasizes that both the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and North Carolina law require voter registration forms to be made available through governmental and private entities, “with particular emphasis on making them available for organized voter registration programs.” Key concerns and recommendations highlighted in the letter include:
• Community voter registration drives play a critical role in helping eligible voters register and participate in elections.
• More than 217,000 North Carolina voter registrations in 2024 were connected to voter registration drives.
• Limiting access to printed voter registration forms could create barriers for voters in rural communities, students, seniors, and individuals without reliable internet or DMV access.
• The organizations urged the State Board to immediately restore printed voter registration forms for community registration efforts.
• The letter also encouraged the State Board to expand online voter registration options for individuals without DMV accounts, which could reduce printing costs, improve efficiency, reduce duplicate registrations and data entry errors, and expand voter access across North Carolina.
Voter registration is central to the League’s mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. The League will continue to advocate for policies that ensure broad and equitable access to voter registration opportunities, strengthen participation, and support a more inclusive democracy for all North Carolinians.
