The North Carolina State Board of Elections has begun sending a second round of Registration Repair letters to voters whose registration records are missing either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. This action is in accordance with state and federal law.
The latest mailing, which was sent out today, follows a legal settlement between the State Board and the U.S. Department of Justice in United States of America v. North Carolina State Board of Elections. The agreement requires multiple outreach efforts to give voters an opportunity to provide necessary identification information for updating their registration records.
Voters who have not yet responded to previous requests are being contacted again. The letter outlines three ways recipients can provide the required information: by mail using a prepaid envelope, online through the NCDMV website at payments.ncdot.gov if they have an N.C. driver’s license or DMV-issued ID, or in person at their county board of elections office. Updates cannot be made by phone.
“It’s quick. It’s easy. It’s free,” said Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board. “We strongly encourage all voters who receive these letters to act as soon as possible. Providing this information now helps ensure a smooth experience the next time they vote.”
A Registration Repair Search Tool is available for North Carolinians to check whether they are on the list; it is updated daily. If someone receives a letter but has already updated their registration and no longer appears on the list, no further action is needed.
County boards will process any returned letters that include updated identification details from voters. Undeliverable letters should continue to be held by county boards while the State Board finalizes procedures aimed at reducing county workload and ensuring compliance with list-maintenance requirements.
Looking ahead, voters who have not provided this identification information before future elections will be directed to cast provisional ballots in person. These ballots will prompt for either a driver’s license number or Social Security number; once validated, those votes will count. Poll workers will receive training on these procedures, and affected voter records will be flagged in poll books.
Contact information for the North Carolina State Board of Elections includes its Raleigh address, email (elections.sboe@ncsbe.gov), phone ((919) 814-0700), and fax ((919) 715-0135).
