BULLETIN: Same-Day Registration
Becomes Law
On July 20, Gov. Mike Easley signed HB-91 (Registration
& Voting at One-Stop Sites) into law. A few hours
later, the State Board of Elections submitted the
new law to US Department of Justice for preclearance,
consistent with the requirements of the federal Voting
Rights Act. Upon approval from the feds, North Carolina
will officially become the first state in the South
to have Same-Day Registration. NC will also be the
largest, and most diverse, of the 9 states with a
form of Same-Day Registration.
Democracy
North Carolina will be working to implement this important
reform, which allows a citizen to show proper ID, fill out
the registration form, and vote with a retrievable ballot
-- all at the same time -- from 19 to 3 days before Election
Day. Successful implementation will help us expand this
new method to include Election Day itself. The victory for
Same-Day Registration was the result of a multi-year educational
effort by many partners in a large and diverse SDR Coalition
and by the persistent actions of citizens across the state.
Congratulations to all those who acted to make this possible!
Feds
Approve NC's Use of Same-Day Registration
HOW
TO USE SDR: Click
here for flyer about using Same-Day Registration (3
per page)
LEGISLATION: A 2007 bill for Registration
& Voting at One-Stop Voting Sites
can be viewed at:
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2007/Bills/House/HTML/H91v1.html
Click here
for a one-page summary of the legislation.
ENDORSEMENTS: Groups such
as N.C. Fair Share, League of Women Voters of N.C.,
NAACP of N.C., N.C. PIRG, A. Philip Randolph Institute,
Common Cause, and Democracy North Carolina support
this proposal.
Click
here for a letter from the
State Board of Elections describing Same-Day Registration.
RESOURCES: For a speaker
on same-day registration, please contact:
Lynice Williams of NC Fair Share at (toll free) 1-866-302-0031
or
<ncfslrw@aol.com>
Bob Hall of Democracy North Carolina at 919-489-1931
or <sprc@mindspring.com>
Resources about Same-Day or Election Day Registration
are available at
www.demos-usa.org/edr
RESEARCH: Only six states
have a lower voter turnout rate than North
Carolina. More than half the adults in our state do
not vote, even in
presidential election years. Click
here for a state-by-state chart that
compares voter turnout rates among voting-age adults
in the 50 states.
Click
here for a one-page flyer with “Frequently
Asked Questions” about
Same-Day Registration.
Click
here for a one-page flyer about "Fraud
Fears, ID Requirements, and Same-Day Registration."
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