On the heels of North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) signing a bill to massively limit voting rights, two localities changed their polling places & university residency rules.
On Monday, McCrory signed into law a new bill that includes a strict voter ID law, ending same-day voter registration, cutting down the length of early voting and eliminated a program that encourages high school students to register to vote before they turn 18. The law, deemed the “worst voter suppression bill in the nation,” specifically targets low-income, minority and college-aged voters – all of which traditionally vote democrat.
Just after McCrory signed the bill, the Republican majority in the Watauga County Board of Elections voted to eliminate the early voting site and election-day polling place at Appalachian State University, one of the largest universities in North Carolina. The board voted to combine three local precincts into one, which will force about 9,300 residents to vote in a building with only 35 parking spots.
The Republican majority in the Pasquotank County Board of Elections also changed their voting residency regulations. They ruled that students who live on college campuses have not established permanent residency, and therefore cannot run for local office. The county’s Republican chairman has promised to challenge the residency of other students in Pasquotank County and across the state.
Media Resources: ThinkProgress, 8/13/2013; The News & Observer 8/14/2013; ThinkProgress 8/15/2013
