The North Carolina State Board of Elections on Thursday approved early voting plans for 80 counties for the November general election, but the remaining 20 counties still need to be approved.
The approved plans were those that the county election boards unanimously authorized at the local level.
The counties that failed to reach an agreement must submit their proposals to the State Board of Elections on August 20th for review.
La early voting The polls for the November elections in North Carolina will begin on October 15.
These are the 20 counties without a deal
The counties that did not reach a unanimous agreement on their early voting plans are:
- Anson
- Chatham
- Columbus
- Craven
- Cumberland
- Granville
- Greene
- guilford
- Harnett
- Jackson
- Lee
- Lenoir
- Nash
- Pasquotank
- Tour
- Rockingham
- Rowan
- Scotland
- Union
- Wayne
Dispute over Sunday voting
One of the main differences between the plans of various counties is related to the availability of early voting on Sundays.
Jeff Carmon, a Democratic member of the State Board of Elections, noted during the meeting that he observed a trend in both some unanimously approved plans and those still pending approval: several counties that previously offered Sunday voting no longer include it for this election cycle.
“While reviewing the plans, I saw quite a few unanimous plans that previously had voting on Sundays and that do not have it this time,” Carmon said during the meeting.
Some of the 20 remaining counties have specific disagreements on this issue. In Harnett County, for example, the conflicting proposals maintain the same five early voting centers but differ on Sunday hours.
The majority proposal would close the centers on both Sundays during the early voting periodOn the other hand, the minority proposal would offer voting from 1 pm to 5 pm on both days.
The State Board of Elections has already made decisions that modified or rejected proposals for early voting on Sundays in some counties. Learn why Sunday voting was eliminated in two counties.
Read how the Board rejected proposals to vote on Sundays and at universities in some counties.
Debate on polling stations at universities
Other disagreements are related to the location of early voting sites, including Guilford County.
The proposals in that county differ on whether early voting centers should be maintained at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University.
Those who criticize the elimination of these centers argue that it could hinder access to University students to the vote. While the alternative plans reflect differences on how to distribute the voting places within the county.
What requirements must early voting plans meet?
Before approving the early voting plans, the State Board of Elections check that the proposals comply with various requirements established by state and federal law.
One of the main requirements is that the plans establish uniform voting dates, times, and locations within each county.
When a county board of elections proposes using an early voting site instead of its elections office, that site must meet a reasonable proximity standard. The reference point is that the site should be approximately four miles or a 10-minute drive from the county board of elections office.
In addition, the Board must determine that the use of that location provides adequate coverage for the voters.
Another requirement applies when a county proposes using a privately owned building as an early voting center. In such cases, the county must demonstrate that no other equally suitable public locations were available and that the site selection does not disproportionately favor any political party, racial or ethnic group, or candidate.
La State Board It also considers whether the complete plan could disproportionately affect the voting rights of any specific group.
In addition, polling places must comply with federal accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), either through accessible facilities for People with disabilities or through alternatives such as curbside voting when necessary.
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A year ago, Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina. The Latino community responded with something stronger than the storm: solidarity.
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