This may come as a surprise, but… due to ongoing legal wrangling, Same Day Registration during Early Voting and out-of-precinct voting on Election Day are in effect for the 2015 elections – at least until Federal District Court Judge Schroeder rules in the Monster Law case argued in Winston-Salem this summer.
Same Day Registration is a critical, “fail safe” option for citizens who have moved across county lines, are new to the state of North Carolina, or have recently become eligible to vote – and who miss the 25-day registration deadline (Sept. 11th for the Oct. 6th election, and Oct. 9th for the Nov. 3rd election).
To use Same Day Registration (only available during Early Voting), a voter must provide one of the following identifying documents to an election official at an Early Voting location:
- NC driver’s license
- Other government photo ID
- Utility bill, bank statement, or payroll stub with name and current address
- Student photo ID with a school document showing the student’s address
- Any document from any government agency with the voter’s name and current address.
Out-of-precinct voting means that on Election Day a voter can cast a ballot that will be counted (at least in part) at any voting precinct in his or her county.
Again, a court ruling could change this situation, but for now Same Day Registration and out-of-precinct voting are the law of the land.