The Republican leaders have passed legislation that many consider to be voter suppression laws; these laws make it more difficult to vote, they increase the complexity of the voting process, and they increase the possibility that some voters will not vote.

  1. Same day registration has been eliminated.  The new law requires that one register at least 25 days before the election, October 14, 2016 for the November 8 election this year.  If one procrastinates and does not register before October 14, he/she will not be able to vote.
  2. Pre-registration of high school students who were at least 16 has been eliminated; students can now register only if they will be 18 by election day.
  3. The number of early voting days has been reduced by a week and early voting on Sunday is prohibited.
  4. Early voting has been eliminated at Appalachian State University, thus eliminating a convenient voting location for Appalachian State students
  5. In the 2012 election, over 2.5 million North Carolina voters, about 56% of the entire turnout, cast a straight party ballot.  The Republican leaders have eliminated this popular form of voting.  It is now necessary to scroll down the entire ballot and make an individual choice for each office.  This change will have a negative impact on some older voters and others who have difficulty standing for a long period.  Some may give up and not vote.  Other voters may vote for some races and skip others.
  6. Voters cannot vote out-of-precinct; they must vote in their own precincts.  Provisional ballots will not be counted.
  7. In Rockingham County, NC the Republican leaders moved polling places out of public schools into other locations.  Nine out of the 15 sites are in schools, which are handicap accessible and conveniently located.  Other locations are not be as convenient, and may discourage some potential voters from voting.  There will almost certainly be confusion and lost votes.
  8. In Watagua County,  NC, the Republican leaders combined 3 precincts into one “super” precinct encompassing 9300 voters. There are 35 parking spaces for this precinct.  There will likely be long lines, finding a parking place may be difficult, and some voters may leave without voting.
  9. Many studies have shown that the candidate who is listed first in a given race has some advantage from voters who just check a box instead of making an informed decision.  For 2016, the new law places the name of the Republican candidate first for most offices being contested.
  10. College students cannot use their college ID to comply with the new voter ID law, which goes into effect in 2016.  In some states students can use their college ID for voting purposes, but the Republican leaders would not allow such use in North Carolina.  The voter ID law does not allow college students to use their college IDs to vote.  Thus, some college students will not be able to vote.  The message to young voters is to stay home.
  11. Republican leaders in the North Carolina Senate passed legislation which financially penalized the parents of college students who voted on their college campuses; parents lost the exemption of their college students if the students voted in their college precinct rather than in the precinct of their home address.  This measure would make it more difficult for students to vote.  (This issue became unimportant when Republican leaders later voted to end all exemptions for all voters,)
  12. The new law allows any registered voter in the state to challenge any other voter’s registration.  Republican leaders have been having meetings around the state on how the challenge process works and how to select voters to challenge.  Challengers are likely to challenge persons who look like they can be intimidated or who look like they can be pressured into not voting.  The likely result is that some qualified voters will be frightened into not voting.

The reduction in early voting days and the elimination of straight ticket voting will result in long lines on election day and frustrated voters.  It is clear that the voting changes enacted by the Republican leaders are designed to discourage voters from voting.  These new laws need to be repealed and the Republican leaders need to be replaced.   VOTE DEMOCRATIC!!

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