Receiving a notification from the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) to confirm citizenship or request removal from the voter registration list if registration was done in error can generate doubts and fear.
For the representatives of the non-partisan organization VoteRidersUnderstanding the process and seeking help is essential to prevent uncertainty from becoming a barrier to voting.
In an interview with Enlace Latino NC Ceridwen Cherry, the organization's legal director, and Selene Gomez, the national fieldwork director, discussed these notifications and the proposed constitutional amendment related to voter identification.
Both emphasized the importance of voters understand the requirements and know who to go to if they encounter difficulties.
“The most important thing is to go out and vote. I understand that the current atmosphere can generate fear, worry, confusion, or all of those things at once in some people. But the most important thing is that, if you can vote, you do it,” said Ceridwen Cherry.
“I also want to remind you that there are people willing to help you. Whatever barrier you encounter, there are people and organizations prepared to step in and help resolve it,” she said.
Vote early
One of their main recommendations is to take advantage of early voting, which would allow for the resolution of potential issues. errors in the registry or problems with the Identification documents.
“I recommend that people vote early if they can. That also helps reduce lines on the election day "For those who can only go on Tuesday, November 3, for work or other reasons," Cherry explained.
“Also, if any problems arise, I prefer that they come earlier so that we have the opportunity to help them resolve them,” he emphasized.
Does receiving the letter prevent you from voting?
The State Board of Elections announced on October 13 that it had sent notifications to 1.392 voters identified as potential non-citizens through the federal SAVE database.
Receiving a letter asking you to confirm your citizenship can cause confusion and fear, but it doesn't automatically mean losing it. right to vote.
That is the message Ceridwen Cherry seeks to convey to registered citizens in North Carolina.
Cherry argued that registered U.S. citizens should not interpret the notification as a ban on participating in the elections.
“Receiving a letter like this can be confusing, but if you are registered and a U.S. citizen, you can vote,” he explained.
According to the legal director, by registering voters they already declare their citizenship under penalty of perjury.
Therefore, he stated, receiving these letters does not in itself create an obligation to submit additional documents in order to vote.
The Electoral Board also clarified that the notification does not cancel the registration nor automatically prevent someone from voting. eligible person.
However, it recommends that those who believe they have been identified in error contact the agency and follow the instructions to resolve the discrepancy.
Concern for naturalized citizens
Cherry warned that cross-referencing databases can mistakenly identify people who acquired citizenship after obtaining documents such as their driver's license.
He explained that someone may have received an identification when they were a permanent resident and retained it after becoming naturalized, without the records used necessarily reflecting that change.
In his view, these discrepancies could create obstacles for eligible voters. He also expressed concern about the effect of the notifications being issued so close to the election: that the uncertainty might discourage people from participating.
Voting early allows us to find solutions
One of their main recommendations is take advantage of early votingGoing before election day gives you more time to seek help if you encounter a problem with identification or any other issues.
“The sooner you vote, the more time we will have to resolve any problems that may arise,” he said.
Cherry added that vote early It also helps to reduce the lines for those who, due to work or other circumstances, can only attend on election day.
What to do in the face of obstacles or intimidation
If a person faces bullying, receives conflicting information, or encounters difficulties in a polling placeCherry recommends reporting it immediately to election protection organizations.
He explained that these organizations can guide voters, communicate the problem to the relevant authorities, and, depending on the case, send help to the location.
Their message is that eligible citizens do not have to face these difficulties alone: there are people and organizations willing to help them so they can exercise their right to vote.
Scope of the identification amendment in North Carolina
For Selene Gómez, the debate about photo identification for voting requires looking beyond a question that seems simple: why not present a document to confirm identity?
Furthermore, he pointed out that obtaining an identification can involve difficulties that many voters are unaware of.
Behind that requirement, he explained, are people who need to retrieve birth certificates, resolve differences in their names, get transportation, or request time off work to go to a public office.
Therefore, he believes it is necessary for voters to understand both the difficulties in obtaining documents and the scope of the constitutional amendment that will be put to a vote in North Carolina.
“North Carolina already has this law,” Gómez commented. His main concern is that incorporating the requirement for all voting methods into the state constitution would make it difficult to amend in the future.
Related: What documents do you need to vote early in North Carolina?
What does the Elon University survey say?
The Elon University poll, conducted from August 21 to 31, 2026, and published on September 17, found that 63% of voters intending to participate in the general election supported the Photo ID for all voters amendment, while 25% opposed it and 12% were undecided.
The proposal calls for requiring photo identification in all voting methods, including absentee voting by mail.
The text of the question reads:
“Constitutional amendment to require that all voters, not just those voting in person, present photo identification before voting.”
The requirement already exists in state law: those who vote by mail must include a copy of an accepted ID or submit an exception form.
The current Constitution requires identification for in-person voting; the proposal would extend that constitutional mandate to other voting methods.
A current requirement that would be more difficult to change
Gomez insisted that the amendment should not be understood as the creation of a completely new requirement.
“This only makes it more difficult to eliminate, modify, or change it in the future,” he explained.
His warning refers to the difference between amending a law and changing the Constitution.
Approval of the proposal would not make the requirement irreversible, but it would prevent the constitutional mandate from being eliminated through ordinary legislative reform.
For Gómez, that distinction should be part of the information that voters receive before marking their ballot.
He believes that a positive response to presenting identification does not necessarily reflect that the person is aware of all the consequences of incorporating it into the Constitution.
Obtaining documents can become a difficult cycle to break.
When asked about the support for the measure, Gómez attributed it to a lack of awareness of the difficulties some people face in obtaining an accepted identification.
According to him, his organization has helped thousands of people obtain state IDs or driver's licenses.
In that work they have found cases of people who lost essential documents during hurricanes, storms or other emergencies.
Recovering them can become a bureaucratic loop: to request a birth certificate, they are asked for identification, and to obtain that identification, they need the birth certificate.
“You want your birth certificate, you need an ID, but you don’t have the ID and you need your birth certificate to get it,” he described.
“These difficulties are compounded by the costs of some procedures, travel, and the time required to complete them,” Gómez commented.
“Those conditions are usually left out of the conversation when the only question is whether one agrees to require a document,” he added.
Distances and schedules also play a role.
Gómez highlighted the difficulties that residents of rural communities may face in accessing the offices where the procedures are carried out.
“He can’t go and get his ID in ten minutes,” he said.
For some people, he explained, obtaining a document requires organizing a whole day: finding transportation, taking time off work, or finding someone to take care of their children during business hours.
From their perspective, assessing access to identification also requires considering these circumstances. The existence of an office or a procedure does not mean that everyone has the same opportunity to use it.
Two surnames and differences in the records
Gomez also addressed a common concern among Latinos: the differences in how their first and last names appear on different documents.
“The first time I went to vote I encountered difficulties because my voter registration included the surname Gómez, while my license showed both of his surnames.”
She also recounted that her brother had to sign a document to confirm his identity in 2024, after his middle name appeared abbreviated in the electoral register.
Those experiences led her to recommend that people review your documents and their registration before going to vote.
In North Carolina, however, the names do not have to match exactly.
Official instructions allow for reasonably explainable differences, such as the use of initials, the inclusion or omission of a surname, and variations in the order of names or accents.
Information and support to defend your vote
Gomez expressed concern about what he considers an accumulation of requirements that shifts more responsibilities to the voter.
“It’s another barrier that’s being put up,” he said, referring to the documentary requirements and proposals for proving citizenship upon registration.
VoteRiders' national fieldwork coordinator maintained that knowing the procedures allows one to ask questions and seek help when a difficulty arises.
“It is important to have the resources of assistance organizations and voter protection hotlines on hand,” she recommended.
Gómez also highlighted the value of family support, to "help and assist them when they vote for the first time, clarifying doubts and ensuring they have a positive experience that doesn't discourage them from voting," she concluded.
Barriers to obtaining identification do not affect everyone equally.
Lacking an official photo ID is a reality for nearly 2,6 million adult U.S. citizens, according to a study published in January 2024 by the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland.
Based on a national survey conducted in 2023, the report found that African American and Hispanic citizens, young people, and people of lower incomes were more likely to lack a driver's license, one of the documents used to identify oneself when voting.
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