State elections board opens comment period on absentee voting, photo ID, recount and voting site rules
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina State Board of Elections is seeking public comment on four sets of proposed administrative rules involving absentee voting, voter photo identification, recounts and voting sites.
The comment periods began Friday, May 15, and run through Tuesday, July 14, according to the State Board. Written comments may be submitted during the comment period, and the board has scheduled separate in-person hearings for each set of proposed rules.
The proposed rules cover several areas that have been closely watched in North Carolina election policy, including absentee voting procedures, the state’s photo ID requirement, recount processes and rules governing voting sites.
The board scheduled the recount rules hearing for 10 a.m. June 8, the photo ID rules hearing for 2 p.m. June 9, the absentee voting rules hearing for 10 a.m. June 22 and the voting site rules hearing for 10 a.m. June 29. Each hearing is scheduled for the board room at the State Board of Elections in the Dobbs Building at 430 N. Salisbury St. in Raleigh.
Comments may be submitted online, by email or by mail. The board said commenters should identify the specific rule they are addressing when submitting comments by email or mail.
The comment period is part of the state rulemaking process. After the comment period closes, the State Board will review public comments and consider revisions before taking final action. Adopted rules then go to the Rules Review Commission for final approval before they become effective.
The rules could affect voters, campaigns, county boards of elections and advocacy groups ahead of future elections. Absentee voting and voter ID rules affect how ballots are requested, cast and verified. Recount rules affect close elections. Voting site rules can affect how local boards operate polling locations and early voting sites.
The State Board’s announcement did not summarize every proposed rule change in the release, but it directed the public to the rule texts and explanations on the board’s rulemaking page.
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.
