archived: 4 - 10 Dec, 2005         Back                 Next

                        MORE ON THE NEED FOR SAME-DAY REGISTRATION
                        [Authored by Adam Sotack*] 

Did You Know? 

            --- Over 1 million voting-age citizens in North Carolina are not registered to vote*. 

            --- Over 300,000 potential voters age 18-24 in North Carolina are not registered to vote*.  

            --- Over 400,000 of our state’s 1,000,000 unregistered voting-age citizens are 35 under*.  

* Data from the U.S. Census Bureau, May 2005 

As has been mentioned by TPJ, HUGE numbers of voting-age citizens aren’t on North Carolina’s voter rolls, pointing to the need for Same-day registration in the Tar Heel State. We’ll keep you posted as this campaign moves forward. A large, statewide coalition has formed to advocate for passage of SDR (same-day registration) in 2006. Get involved. 

            ACTION NEEDED 

Get a resolution signed in support of Same-day Registration in N.C. We need resolutions from individuals, county party organizations, Democratic Party auxiliary groups, civic groups, etc. 

Download a copy of the resolution at: Democracy NC Resolution 

Email Adam Sotak: adamsotak@democracy-nc.org for more information. 

Below are: 1) findings from Democracy North Carolina’s Youth Voter Survey, conducted this past July by students involved in our Democracy Summer program; and 2) Frequently Asked Questions about Same-day registration at One-Stop Polling Sites (HB 851).  

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Survey Reveals Problems & Potential of Youth Voter Participation in N.C. Elections: 18-24 year olds say Same-Day Voter Registration would boost youth voting in North Carolina       

When North Carolinians age 18 to 24 were asked to identify the state’s voter registration deadline, less than 2% knew that a person must register 25 days before Election Day.  That may explain why the voter registration and voter turnout rates for young adults in North Carolina are well below the national average. 

Democracy North Carolina conducted the 10-question survey with the help of ten college students involved in its annual “Democracy Summer” program.  The students conducted face-to-face interviews with 529 North Carolinians who were 18 to 24 years old during the November 2004 election. The nonpartisan organization’s survey showed: 

            -- Only 1.9% knew the deadline to register to vote was 25 days before an election in N.C.
            -- 68% of those surveyed who were not registered for the Nov. 2004 election said they  would have been more likely to register if they could have registered up to and on Election Day.
            -- 34% said the process of registering to vote is inconvenient, while 48% agreed that finding quality information about candidates is a problem in the election process.
            --  80% of those polled said that they would support Same-Day Registration, including a majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.   

Comparing North Carolina to States With Same-Day Registration* 

In November 2004, six states allowed voting-age citizens to register up to and on Election Day (MN, ME, WI, ID, NH, WY). These states had some  of the highest voter turnout rates in the country for adults and youth: 

            -- Average youth (18-24 yrs.) voter turnout in 2004 in 6 Same-Day Registration (SDR) states:  56%
            -- National average of youth (18-24 yrs.) voter turnout:  42%
            -- North Carolina youth (18-24 yrs.) voter turnout:  38% — 18% less than SDR states 

For the full report, go to: Democracy NC  

* Population and voter turnout data from the U.S. Census Bureau, May 2005.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Same-Day Registration at One-Stop Sites
NC HOUSE BILL 851 (Sponsored by Reps. Ross, Parmon, Holliman) 

What does House Bill 851 do? This act will allow a citizen who misses the cut-off for registration (25 days before the election) to go to a one-stop voting site in the county, show proper ID, register and vote.  (One-stop sites open from 17 days before Election Day to the weekend before the election.) 

Does a person have to show identification to register and vote on the same day?  Yes. A person who wishes to register at an early voting site must show the elections official a current North Carolina driver’s license, utility bill, bank or payroll statement, or government-issued ID. 

How will we know people are who they say they are?  The one‑stop site has accessible databases of driver’s license and voter registration records, so the election officials can verify the registration application immediately.  If the identification presented is something other than a driver’s license, then the person will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot, which can be disqualified if the information about the person is incorrect. 

What about registering on Election Day itself?  The bill will provide funding to the State Board of Elections to study the feasibility for expanding SDR to all voting places on Election Day.   

What has happened in other states with Same-Day Registration?  In the November 2004 election, 74% of all eligible voters in the six states with Same-Day Registration voted, whereas only 60% of eligible voters in the other states voted – a difference of 14 percentage points. 

Is voter turnout a problem in North Carolina?  Yes.  In the 2004 election, North Carolina ranked in the bottom third of states in voter turnout.  Over the past two decades, North Carolina ranks among the worst ten states in voter turnout.    

Isn’t it easy to register to vote already? It might seem pretty easy, but for many people the process can be confusing and intimidating.  A 2005 poll by Democracy North Carolina found that only 2% of 18-24 year olds knew the deadline to register.     

Will this help youth register to vote?  North Carolina has one of the worst youth voter turnout rates.  In 2004, only 43% of 18-24 year olds voted compared to a 64% turnout for the whole state.  Many young people are first time voters who find the election process intimidating. Young people also move around often and forget to re-register.   

What does the State Board of Elections think of this proposal?  State Elections Director Gary Bartlett told a state legislative committee meeting in 2005 that the program is feasible and can work. 

Why don’t people vote?  A Census Bureau study found that the top reason cited by nonvoters was that they didn’t have time. Many people don’t tune into elections until after the registration deadline. 

What about voter fraud?  A person must provide proof of identity and sign a statement, under penalty of felony perjury that he or she is a U.S. citizen and resides at the address given.  There are very few documented instances of fraud in states with Same Day Registration – no more than in states without SDR.  (Six states have Election Day registration: ID, ME, MN, NH, WI, and WY) Fraudulently voting in NC is a felony offense.   

What does it cost?  The bill only asks for $75,000 for the State Board of Elections to study the feasibility of expanding Same-Day Registration. 

Democracy North Carolina at 1-888-OUR-VOTE  www.democracy-nc.org   

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*The information was provided by Adam Sotak, Organizer for Democracy North Carolina, a non-partisan voting rights organization based in Carrboro. 

                        REPUBLICAN PURISTS 

The intra-Party fight in the Republican Party between Rep. Richard Morgan (Moore County) and a small band of moderates and right wing Republicans is escalating. TPJ readers will recall that the State Republican Party first voted to (a) condemn Rep. Morgan for forming a governing alliance with Democrats in 2002 when the legislature was equally divided and subsequently (b) oust Rep. Morgan from the state executive committee for a period of five years. 

Most recently, the Republican Party executive committee voted to recruit and help fund a “pure” Republican to challenge Morgan in the upcoming primary.  Reaction within the Republican Party demonstrates deep divisions. 

The Republicans condemning Rep. Morgan might not be so pure themselves.  NC Spin notes that (emphasis added):   

Representative Ed McMahan (R-Charlotte) gave $1,000 to the campaign of Democrat Richard Moore in the state Treasurer's race. More precisely, a PAC for McMahan gave the money. Ed says the problem was that the donation was supposed to come from his corporate PAC but someone (always, the proverbial someone) made a mistake and sent the check from the wrong entity.

 

State Chair Ferrell Blount says he knew about it but didn't deem it important enough to take to the Executive Committee, the group that was voting on a Republican National Committeeman position. Some are saying they would never have voted for McMahan had they known he gave money to a Democrat.

 

Well, there is something here. McMahan has been highly critical of former House Co-speaker Richard Morgan for his coalition with the Democrats. It appears he may be not walking the walk, even though he is talking the talk.

 

So now we've got a bunch of Republicans mad at McMahan, not to mention a lot of controversy surrounding Party chair Ferrell Blount, and Richard Morgan can't stand to sit on the sidelines watching this one, so he's throwin' his two cents worth into also. A full scale donnybrook appears ready to break out. 

Rep. McMahan is, indeed, one of the leading critics of Rep. Morgan.  TPJ featured an original investigative story documenting that Rep. McMahan had written letters to GOP legislators blaming Rep. Morgan for the loss Republican majority status in the NC House.  

With Democrats recapturing the State House in 2004, a 63-57 majority, rank and file Republicans blamed Rep. Morgan for their defeat. Rep. Morgan responded by sending a letter to State House Republicans laying the blame on the NCGOP, from which Rep. Morgan has been ousted, for failure to find candidates in critical swing districts and to fund those candidates. 

More particularly, Rep. Morgan named three Republican House members; Daughtry/Blount/Pope for leading the effort to defeat Rep. Morgan and his faction and the ultimate defeat of the Republicans in 2004.  Rep. Morgan’s initial letter has been in the public domain for some time.  In it he claims Daughtry/Blount/Pope initiated a 

mission to tear down and permanently fracture the Republican Party to advance their own political and personal ambitions. When Daughtry/Blount/Pope were unsuccessful in persuading the North Carolina Supreme Court to declare the 2003 redistricting plan unconstitutional, they decided to target loyal incumbent Republican Legislators in an effort to make their predictions about the plan come true. Using an endless supply of money and with the backing of the NCGOP establishment, the Daughtry/Blount/Pope group funded challengers to unseat several long-term loyal Republicans. Although a united effort would have resulted in Republican control of the House under the 2003 plan, the Daughtry/Blount/Pope faction set about their personal mission to divide and destroy the Republican Party as we know it today. Furthermore, they were willing to sacrifice Republican seats to do so. – NC Rumors

TPJ obtained from private sources two additional letters that were referred to in the press but have not been publicly released.  Both letters show the depth of animosity that has been unleashed within the Republican Party.  

Rep. Ed McMahan responded to Rep. Morgan’s letter.  Rep. McMahan accuses Rep. Morgan of intervening to defeat fellow Republicans in 2002: 

TAR HEEL DEM CELLAR