Proposed rule change would strengthen NC’s voter ID law
Lee County Board of Elections member, Jay DeLancy, today, submitted an agency petition to the State Board of Elections that would require anybody attempting to vote without a photo ID to provide enough personally identifying information (PII) for election officials to match the voter with their registration record.
“This measure would bring the voter ID standards up to the same standard for voters requesting an absentee ballot,” said DeLancy. “They would need to provide their NC Driver’s License number or the last four of their Social Security Number (SSN-4) before they could vote with the Reasonable Impediment Form.”
Under current law, any voter can vote without providing photo ID simply by declaring on a form that they could not bring a photo ID with them to the polls.
“Their vote is categorized as a Provisional Ballot,” DeLancy said, “but the election boards can rarely reject them and the voter never has to confirm their identity.”
NCGS §163-166.16(f) requires “the county board of elections [to] find that the provisional ballot is valid unless the county board has grounds to believe the affidavit is false.”
The proposed change also includes a remedy for any voter who cannot remember either their license number or the last four of their Social Security Number.
“If a voter can’t recall the information, they get to vote under a different provisional ballot,” said DeLancy, “and they would need to bring their ID back to the County Board of Elections office by noon, the Friday after the election.”
That procedure is already in NCGS §163-166.17(c), which also requires poll workers to provide written instructions to help such provisional voters make sure their vote will count.
The reasonable exception provision of the law, added in 2016, generally allows exceptions for anything that would impede a voter from bringing their ID to the polls.
NCGS §163-166.16(e) allows voters to skip providing a photo ID for these reasons:
“(1) Inability to obtain photo identification due to: a. Lack of transportation. b. Disability or illness. c. Lack of birth certificate or other underlying documents required. d. Work schedule [and] Family responsibilities. [such as] (2) Lost or stolen photo identification. (3) Photo identification applied for but not yet received by the registered voter voting in person. (4) Other reasonable impediment. If the registered voter checks the “other reasonable impediment” box, a further brief written identification of the reasonable impediment shall be required, including the option to indicate that State or federal law prohibits listing the impediment.”
“That ‘other’ excuse allows any exception imaginable, including ‘the dog ate my ID,'” said DeLancy, “and that’s why requiring the voter’s PII is such an important safeguard.”
~ Staff