Election Insight: Voter registration drives

Published 12:00 am Sunday, August 25, 2024

Registration drives play an important role in reaching the eligible citizens of Rowan County that may not be registered to vote. Typically, an organization or person will come to the board of elections office and request voter registration forms. They sign a log stating their name, organization they are with and how many forms they are receiving. 

Organizers play a vital role in helping people register to vote. However, they must follow North Carolina law. They should only register citizens that are eligible to vote.

Eligible citizens registering to vote must:

• Be a citizen of the United States
• Live in the county of registration and have resided there for at least 30 days prior to an election
• Be 18 years old or be 18 at the time of the general election or be 16 or 17 years old to pre-register to vote
• Not be serving a felony sentence, including any period of probation, post release supervision or parole

When you complete a voter registration form at a registration drive you will need to supply certain personal information. The voter is required to complete the following fields: 

• Citizenship
• Age
• Full name
• Date of birth
• N.C. driver’s license number or the last four digits of social security number (if they lack both numbers, they must check a box on the form confirming that)
• Address (a physical and mailing address, if applicable)
• Voter’s signature — the voter must sign or make their mark.

If you are approached by someone offering to register you to vote, you should ask what organization they are with so you can determine if you are comfortable giving  your personal information to them. You should not feel pressured to complete a registration form if you do not wish to do so. If you are already registered, you do not need to complete another registration form. 

Registration drive organizers must protect the forms in their custody. By law organizers have certain things they cannot do.

• They cannot compensate or be compensated for the number of registration forms collected/submitted. Quota systems in voter registration drives are illegal and subject to a class 2 misdemeanor. 
• They cannot tell voters they must re-register to vote. This is incorrect. They should refer voters to the Rowan County Board of Elections if they have questions about their voting status or eligibility.
• They cannot alter the form once the voter has finished marking it. Any incomplete form should be given to the county board of elections as is. The county board will reach out to the voter to get any additional information required to process the registration form. 
•  Any assistance filling out the form must be in the voter’s presence and must be at the voter’s request. However, the voter must sign the registration form.
• They cannot coerce a person into marking a party affiliation other than what the voter desires.  
• They cannot sell or attempt to sell a completed voter registration form or condition its delivery upon payment.
• They cannot keep, retain or store completed or partially completed voter registration forms in any form for any purpose. It is illegal to retain a voter’s Personal Identifiable Information (PII) unless you are an election official.

All voter registration forms, both complete and incomplete, must be sent to the county board of elections in which the voter resides. Unused forms are to be returned if they are no longer needed. Completed voter registration forms are to be submitted within five business days of receipt but no later than the 25th day before an election. For the upcoming 2024 General Election that deadline is Oct. 11. 

Once forms are received, they are processed, and the voter will receive a voter registration card in the mail confirming they are now a registered voter. Registration drives play a key role in reaching those voters, completing the forms and adding them to the voter roll.

Currently, the Rowan County Board of Elections does not conduct voter registration drives. The office does supply forms and resources. If you would like to host a drive, you can come by the office located  at 1935 Jake Alexander Blvd. W., Salisbury, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and we will get you started in the right direction. More information can be found at https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering/hosting-voter-registration-drives