Bullies at the Ballot Box - Demos
Bullies at the Ballot Box - Demos
Bullies at the Ballot Box - Demos
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aSSeSSment:<br />
are VoterS ProteCted?<br />
ProCedureS For makIng and<br />
determInIng ValIdIty oF ChallengeS<br />
legal BaSIS For ChallengIng<br />
a Voter’S elIgIBIlIty<br />
Who Can Challenge<br />
on eleCtIon day?<br />
St<strong>at</strong>e<br />
S<strong>at</strong>ISFaCtory<br />
North Carolina’s laws are exemplary:<br />
challenges must be in writing<br />
under o<strong>at</strong>h, and based on personal<br />
knowledge. It is very protective of<br />
voters th<strong>at</strong> evidence is needed to<br />
support a challenge and th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> presumption<br />
favors <strong>the</strong> registrant.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r excellent provision is th<strong>at</strong><br />
returned mail cannot be used as evidence<br />
for a challenge. This protects<br />
voters from potentially frivolous and<br />
burdensome challenges based on caging<br />
practices.<br />
One provision is less than optimal:<br />
election officials may reject a ballot<br />
even after a voter takes an o<strong>at</strong>h. But<br />
<strong>the</strong> presumption in favor of <strong>the</strong> voter<br />
and <strong>the</strong> provision requiring affirm<strong>at</strong>ive<br />
proof for a challenge helps<br />
mitig<strong>at</strong>e this weakness.<br />
Each challenge shall be made separ<strong>at</strong>ely, in<br />
writing, under o<strong>at</strong>h and on forms prescribed<br />
by <strong>the</strong> St<strong>at</strong>e Board of Elections, and shall<br />
specify <strong>the</strong> reasons why <strong>the</strong> challenged voter is<br />
not entitled to register.<br />
N.C. GEN. STAT. §§ 163-85<br />
A challenge can only be made if a challenger<br />
“knows, suspects, or reasonably believes [<strong>the</strong><br />
challenged individual] not to be qualified and<br />
entitled to vote.”<br />
N.C. GEN. STAT. §§ 163-90.1<br />
Challenges are heard and decided by judges of<br />
election in <strong>the</strong> challenged registrant’s precinct<br />
before <strong>the</strong> polls are closed. Those officials<br />
must explain <strong>the</strong> qualific<strong>at</strong>ions for registr<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
and voting and may <strong>the</strong>n examine <strong>the</strong> voter as<br />
to his or her qualific<strong>at</strong>ions to be registered and<br />
to vote.<br />
N.C. GEN. STAT. § 163-88<br />
A challenged voter must make an o<strong>at</strong>h or<br />
affirm<strong>at</strong>ion regarding her eligibility to vote.<br />
However, even once <strong>the</strong> voter has done so,<br />
elections officials may still refuse to allow <strong>the</strong><br />
individual to vote a regular ballot “unless <strong>the</strong>y<br />
are s<strong>at</strong>isfied th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> challenged registrant is a<br />
legal voter.” The presumption is th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> voter<br />
is properly registered, and any challenge must<br />
be supported by affirm<strong>at</strong>ive proof for it to be<br />
sustained.<br />
N.C. GEN. STAT. § 163-88<br />
A letter or postal card mailed by returnable<br />
mail and returned by <strong>the</strong> United St<strong>at</strong>es Postal<br />
Service purportedly because <strong>the</strong> person no longer<br />
lives <strong>at</strong> th<strong>at</strong> address or because a forwarding<br />
order has expired shall not be admissible<br />
evidence in a challenge.<br />
N.C. GEN. STAT. § 163-88<br />
Grounds for challenges on Election<br />
Day include residency, citizenship,<br />
ineligibility due to felony conviction,<br />
whe<strong>the</strong>r a voter has already voted in<br />
<strong>the</strong> election, or whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> voter is<br />
not who she claims to be.<br />
N.C. GEN. STAT. §§ 163-85; 163 87<br />
north CarolIna Any individual registered to<br />
vote in <strong>the</strong> precinct.<br />
N.C. GEN. STAT. § 163-87<br />
41 • aPPendIx 2 | St<strong>at</strong>e Laws Governing Election Day Challenges