State Board to decide disputed early-voting plans in 20 counties
RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections is preparing to decide early-voting schedules for 20 counties where local election board members could not unanimously agree on plans for the November general election.
The affected counties are Anson, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Jackson, Lee, Lenoir, Nash, Pasquotank, Pitt, Rockingham, Rowan, Scotland, Union and Wayne.
Members of the public may comment on the competing plans through Monday, Aug. 17. The State Board is scheduled to consider the plans at its Aug. 20 meeting.
County election boards have the initial authority to develop early-voting plans. A plan approved unanimously by a county board is forwarded to the State Board for review of its compliance with state law.
When a county board cannot reach unanimous agreement, one or more members may submit proposed plans to the State Board. The state panel may choose among the proposals or adopt a different plan for the county.
The State Board approved unanimous plans from the remaining counties at its Aug. 6 meeting.
The unresolved plans involve decisions such as the number and location of early-voting sites, daily operating hours and whether additional weekend voting will be offered. Specific proposals for each affected county are available through the State Board’s meeting files.
State law establishes minimum early-voting requirements. A county may operate only its elections office, or an approved nearby substitute, during regular weekday business hours and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the final Saturday.
Counties may offer more locations, longer weekday hours and additional weekend voting. When additional sites are used, state law generally requires the locations to maintain matching schedules.
The State Board says a county’s complete plan should not disproportionately favor a political party, racial or ethnic group, or candidate. Voting locations must also comply with federal accessibility requirements.
For the Nov. 3 general election, in-person early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.
Comments submitted through the State Board’s online portal will be compiled and provided to board members before the Aug. 20 meeting.
Editor’s note:
This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
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