WATAUGA COUNTY

Information for Voters Challenged in Election Protest

 

The State Board of Elections is providing the following information in response to messages from voters whose ballots have been challenged in an election protest concerning the state supreme court justice contest.

 

A candidate for N.C. Supreme Court, Jefferson Griffin, has challenged the results of the November 2024 general election and has alleged that some voters were not eligible to vote in his contest.

If you received a notice from the North Carolina Republican Party stating, “your vote may be affected by one or more protests filed in relation to the 2024 general election,” it means that Mr. Griffin has alleged that your ballot is ineligible. Some voters have stated that they became aware in other ways that their name appears on the list of voters challenged by Mr. Griffin.

The State Board and county boards of elections have considered these challenges and have dismissed them in two decisions (Decision 1, Decision 2). Mr. Griffin has appealed those decisions to the courts. There are currently cases regarding these challenges in the North Carolina Supreme Court, the Wake County Superior Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The State Board cannot predict what will occur in the courts with these challenges.

Most of the voters challenged allegedly do not have a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number listed in their electronic voter registration record. There are various reasons why this may be the case. Many voters supply such a number when they register, and their county board of elections then attempts to validate that number with the DMV or the Social Security Administration. But because this effort involves attempting to match information in different government databases—using records created at different times in people’s lives—there are often mismatches in the data. When that occurs, the number is removed from the voter registration record because it failed to validate, and the voter is asked to provide an alternative form of identification when they vote for the first time.

Voters who have been challenged, like all registered voters in North Carolina, are welcome to contact their county board of elections with questions about their registration record, including how to update their information.

If voters would like to get in touch with the parties in this proceeding, the email address for the candidate bringing the challenges is info@jeffersongriffin.com. The email address for the candidate opposing the challenges is team@riggsforourcourts.com.

 

 

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 Voters will now be asked to present a valid photo identification when voting in person. If you do not have a valid photo ID card, you may obtain one from your county board of elections prior to the election, through the end of the early voting period.

 
If you do not have a valid photo ID card on Election Day, you may still vote and have your vote counted by signing an affidavit of reasonable impediment (or “Photo ID Exception Form”) as to why you have not presented a valid photo ID. The Exception Form can also be used if you have a religious objection to being photographed or are a victim of a recently declared natural disaster.

As an alternative, if you don’t have your ID when you vote, you can still vote and then bring your valid photo ID to your county board of elections by 5 p.m. on the ninth day after Election Day (or the sixth day after Election Day for September or October local elections).

If you vote by mail, then you must include a photocopy of a valid photo ID when returning your ballot. You may also complete the Absentee Photo ID Exception Form that is provided with your absentee ballot materials.

A list of all types of ID that can be used for voting is available on the State Board of Elections Voter ID webpage, https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id . 

 

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  Want to learn more about voting with a photo ID? This video explains it all: https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id#required  

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10 Facts About NC's Photo ID Requirement for Voting

RALEIGH, NC – The following are 10 facts about North Carolina’s photo ID requirement for voting: Voters will be asked to show photo ID when voting in North Carolina, starting with the 2023 municipal elections. Those elections occur in September, October, and November, depending on the town or city. (Find your local election details at ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election.) Most voters will simply show their NC driver’s license, but many other types of photo ID will be accepted. See the list of acceptable IDs at ncsbe.gov/voter-id. Voters without ID can get a “No Fee ID Card” from the NCDMV. Soon, voters will also be able to get a free ID from their county board of elections. The State Board is developing a process for approving student and public employee IDs for voting. Lists will be added to the Voter ID website as soon as IDs are approved. When a voter checks in to vote at a polling place, they will be asked to show an acceptable photo ID. Election workers check to see if the picture on the ID reasonably resembles the voter. The address on the photo ID does not have to match the voter registration records. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without a photo ID.If the voter does not show an acceptable ID, the voter may vote with an ID Exception Form and a provisional ballot, or vote with a provisional ballot and return to their county board of elections office with their photo ID by the day before county canvass. (For municipal elections in September and October, this deadline is the Monday following Election Day. For all other elections, the deadline is the second Thursday following Election Day.) Permitted exceptions to the photo ID requirement include the following: The voter has a reasonable impediment to showing photo ID (lack of transportation, lost or stolen ID, disability or illness, family responsibilities, etc.); the voter has a religious objection to being photographed; or the voter was a victim of a natural disaster within 100 days of Election Day. When a registered voter cannot produce a photo ID, the county board of elections must count that ballot if the voter properly completes the ID Exception Form or brings an acceptable ID to their county board of elections before the county canvass. Voters who vote by mail will be asked to include a photocopy of an acceptable ID inside the photo ID envelope that comes with their ballot. If they are unable to include a photocopy of their ID, they may complete an ID Exception Form with the absentee ballot return envelope. Photo ID is not required for military or overseas voters who vote using special absentee voting procedures that federal law makes available for such voters. For more information, see ncsbe.gov/voter-ID and “FAQ: Voter ID". These web pages will be updated frequently with the latest information.

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    REGISTER TO VOTE

For information on different ways to register to vote click HERE. Your voter registration is linked to your residential address. You can now update your address electronically if you have a North Carolina driver's license or identification card. Click HERE to update your address. If you haven't registered to vote, you can use the same link to register.

Not sure what address you are registered at? Click HERE to find out.

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