State elections board warns voters about registration mailings
The State Board of Elections says bulk voter registration mailings have caused confusion, privacy concerns and extra work for county boards.
RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections is warning voters about recent bulk voter registration mailings that officials say have caused confusion and additional work for county boards of elections.
The board said it has received complaints from county election offices and citizens about mailings from Ready to Register Inc., a group attempting to register voters in North Carolina. The mailings were sent to an unknown number of people and included an outdated voter registration application listing four political parties that are no longer recognized in the state, according to the agency.
For 2026, North Carolina’s recognized political parties are the Democratic, Green, Libertarian and Republican parties. Voters may also register as unaffiliated. The State Board said voters who register with a party that is no longer recognized will be registered as unaffiliated.
The State Board also said it received reports that some mailings were sent to deceased individuals and that the group may be using outdated voter data. In New Hanover County, the group provided an incorrect county board return mailing address, which could prevent completed registrations from being delivered correctly.
The agency also reported concerns that QR codes on the mailings may cause another person’s information to pre-populate on a form, raising privacy concerns for voters.
Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said careless bulk voter registration mailings can confuse voters and increase the workload for county boards. The board said it contacted Ready to Register in hopes of reducing confusion and preventing similar issues in future mailings.
Election officials said voters who are already registered at their current address do not need to respond to a mailing encouraging them to register. The State Board also encouraged voters to check their registration status using the agency’s online Voter Search tool and to contact their county board of elections with questions.
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.
