NCSBE launches effort to update missing voter information

The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) has officially kicked off a major initiative to collect missing identification numbers from roughly 103,000 registered voters whose records lack required ID information. 

The project, known as the Registration Repair Project, aims to bring the state’s voter rolls into compliance with both federal and state laws, as well as recent court rulings and a ongoing lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice. The Board unanimously approved the three-part plan at its June 24 meeting. 

Under the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which took effect in 2004, all voter registrations must include either a driver’s license number (DL#) or the last four digits of Social Security numbers (SSN4). However, for nearly a decade, North Carolina’s voter registration form lacked clear instructions, resulting in tens of thousands of registrations being submitted without the required information. The registration application was corrected in January 2024. 

“This project will not result in the removal of any eligible voter from the voter rolls, as some have inaccurately suggested,” said Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board. “Instead, it will result in cleaner, more complete voter rolls and full compliance with state and federal laws. We have gone to great lengths to make this process as straightforward and transparent as possible for the affected voters. We fully expect the number of voters on the list will decrease quickly.” 

Sam Hayes, executive director of the NCSBE

On July 11^th, Washington, DC, law firm WilmerHale sent a letter on behalf of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to the NCSBE threatening legal action if any voters were removed from the voter rolls. 

Hayes said during a Thursday morning press conference that he was hopeful the move would satisfy the DNC and put an end to their threats. 

“No duly registered voter is going to be removed because of this project. We are required by both state and federal law to go back and collect this information,” reported Hayes. “This is due to a faulty form that was promulgated years ago. It’s not the fault of the voters, but at the same time we’re required by the law to go back and collect this information, which should have been done at the time, and it certainly should have been done in the intervening time. This is just an effort to comply with law to settle this litigation.” 

The NCSBE has launched a dedicated webpage with a search tool that allows voters to see if their registration is missing required ID information. Voters have three ways to fix it: use the myNCDMV web portal, visit their county board of elections office for in-person help, or respond to a letter the NCSBE will begin sending out in August. 

The State Board will send letters to individuals who remain on the list of affected voters. The mailing will include a self-addressed, postage-prepaid return envelope and a simple form for collecting the required information, as well as information about the secure online NCDMV voter registration portal, where voters can update their registration information. 

In future elections, voters who haven’t updated their registration with the required ID information will be required to vote using a provisional ballot and provide the missing details at the time of voting. To help with this process, the State Board is adding a flag to these voters’ records, so poll workers know they must vote provisionally and supply the necessary information for their ballot to count.  

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