LOD: NC Ranks 4th on Voting Index

According to a new analysis by Rock the Vote, only three states (Washington, Iowa and Montana) have better policies to help young people participate in elections than North Carolina. We tie with Oregon in fourth place and 45 states rank below us, with neighbors South Carolina and Virginia tied for dead last! This Voting System Scorecard measures state laws and policies in three areas: voter registration, voting procedures and young voter preparation. The other states in the top four have longer histories of promoting civic participation and their voter turnout rates are typically among the best in the nation. Several features that helped North Carolina climb to fourth place are relatively new (e.g., Same Day Registration, pre-registration for teenagers), We have yet to fulfill our potential for sustaining a turnout rate among registered voters close to the 70% level we achieved in 2008. Rather than help, the new crowd at the General Assembly (especially those backed by funding from Art Pope) are promoting bills that will make voting more difficult and lower our score on the Voting System Scorecard from 12.8 to 6.8 points (see page 17 of the report highlights).