North Carolina voters could head to the polls unaware of what they’ll need to vote in 2016.
Beginning with the 2014 primary, county boards of elections were tasked with educating voters about 2016 photo ID requirements. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections website, that meant poll workers were to ask voters if they have proper identification, and those without it would be asked to sign an acknowledgement or fill out an online survey. “Using these resources,” read the site, “the State Board of Election and the county boards of elections will reach out to these voters to ensure they can obtain proper photo ID before 2016.”
Now, new data reveals that almost half of 8,000 primary voters surveyed during the 2014 primary received no such instructions or acknowledgement.
“[H]alf of all respondents (51.6 percent) reported that the poll worker asked if they had one of the forms of photo identification will be required in 2016,” according to a November 2015 report from Dr. Martha Kropf, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte prepared for Democracy NC. “In other words, poll workers likely did not ask about half of the voters whether or not they had proper identification.”
These troubling findings underscore the already-deep concerns North Carolina’s local election officials have acknowledged regarding their inability to effectively educate voters about the intricacies of one of the most restrictive and convoluted voting laws in the country.
Download and read the full report: “Voter Perceptions of Security and Fairness of Elections and the Implementation of Photo Identification Education in the 2014 North Carolina General Election.” (November 2015) >>
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