The 2023 Municipal Elections are in the books! The North Carolina State Board of Elections certified all election results on Nov. 28. We have reviewed our observers’ reports and are ready to share lessons learned and apply them to our 2024 voter outreach.
A huge thank you to LWVNC's County Board of Elections Monitors. You did an amazing job. We have reports from 24 CBOEs – Brunswick, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Carteret, Catawba, Chatham, Dare, Durham, Gaston, Guilford, Henderson, Johnston, Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Moore, New Hanover, Orange, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Scotland, Transylvania, Union, and Wake.
The 2023 Municipal Elections were small elections with limited participation from some of the more dedicated/informed voters in the community. From these reports, LWVNC expects the photo ID requirement to be especially challenging for voters in 2024. Many voters were not aware of the new voting law and did not understand the importance of having and bringing an ID with them when voting. Many voters, especially those new to the state, may not possess an acceptable ID. Additionally, poll workers and CBOE members are either unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the ID Exception Forms.
Unfortunately, there were voters who made the effort to vote, but their ballots were not counted. Others had their ballots reviewed and challenged. We do not know how many voters were turned away without having voted at all.
When doing voter registration, outreach, or education about the upcoming election, it is key that we talk to ALL voters about the importance of having an acceptable ID and bringing it with them. For most voters, acceptable IDs are a current NCDL/ID or a CBOE ID card. Obtaining a CBOE ID – even if you have a NCDL/ID – is reasonable. Out-of-state DLs are only acceptable for voters who first register to vote after Dec. 5, 2023 for the March primary. Students should check the status of their school ID with the list of approved schools on the NCSBE website.
During the Canvass, our monitors observed instances when poll workers did not offer the ID Exception Form to voters who were told to vote with a provisional ballot because they did not present an acceptable ID. Sometimes, the ID was improperly flagged due to an address not matching voter records. Many times, a voter was instructed to bring their ID back to the CBOE office before Canvass. This rarely occurred, and the vote was not counted. In other instances, the ID Exception Form was improperly completed, again resulting in an uncounted ballot. More concerningly, some CBOE members expressed discomfort with the excuse categories on the Exception Form, including the guidance from the NCSBE in evaluating those forms.
As we talk with members of our community about voting and the election, including voter registration, it is important that we give voters the tools to have a positive voting experience and to make sure that their effort results in their vote being counted.
The message that we ask you to emphasize: VOTE! AND MAKE SURE YOUR VOTE COUNTS.
