Numbered Memo 2014-10: DMV Will Now Offer Voter Registration Services to All 17‐Year‐Olds

The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”) will begin offering voter registration services to all customers who are 17 years of age, regardless of whether the individual is in fact qualified and eligible to register. This memo instructs counties how to handle such applications consistent with applicable law. There are additional registration eligibility requirements that apply to primary elections. Since we have concluded the first primary,¹ those registration eligibility issues will be addressed in future memos, when appropriate. Our instruction regarding DMV applications is as follows:

Counties should process the application of a 17‐year‐old submitted in 2014 if:

1. He/she will be 18 years old on or before Nov. 4; and
2. The county board of elections office receives his/her application during a time when the books are open and registration applications are ordinarily accepted, and not after the application deadline of Oct. 10.

Counties should not process the application of a 17‐year‐old submitted in 2014 if:

1. He/she will not be 18 years old on or before Nov. 4; or
2. The county board of elections office receives his/her application after Oct. 10.

Preregistration is no longer permitted under state law. Therefore, counties may not “hold” applications until the applicant becomes qualified to register. For example, if a 17‐year‐old submits a registration application and that 17‐year‐old will not be 18 years old until December 2014, that application for registration should be denied as provided by G.S. § 163‐82.7(b). The Notice of Denial of Voter Registration template is available for your use.

We had hoped to spare counties much of this extra work by exploring ways to screen for eligibility on a systems level at DMV. Municipal elections and other factors rendered that solution unworkable. We hope to assist you as your county implements its process consistent with this memo.

¹ For counties with second primaries, the books are presently closed, and applications received before July 15 should not be processed.

↓ DMV Will Now Offer Voter Registration Services to All 17‐Year‐Olds: Numbered Memo 2014-10 (PDF)

← Return to Memo Search