The State Board of Elections is reminding colleges and universities, charter schools and state and local governments about upcoming deadlines to submit applications for their IDs to be eligible for use by voters in 2020.
State law requires the State Board to confirm that an institution’s identification card meets certain requirements before it can be used to vote in North Carolina. The IDs of dozens of colleges and universities, charter schools and local and state governments are already approved by the State Board for use in 2020 elections.
Many other student and employee IDs potentially eligible for use by voters have not yet been approved. The State Board continues to work with NC Community Colleges, the University of North Carolina System, the N.C. Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the N.C. Department of Instruction, the N.C. Association of County Commissioners, the N.C. League of Municipalities, the N.C. City and County Management Association and other groups to ensure their members are aware of the deadlines and details of the approval process. State Board staff has sent reminders and conducted informational webinars about the process.
If certain IDs are not approved, voters may still use another acceptable form of ID or get a free N.C. Voter ID from their county board of elections. Please visit www.ncsbe.gov/Voter-ID for a complete list of acceptable IDs.
“We want as many IDs as possible to be approved for voting purposes for this important election year in North Carolina,” said Karen Brinson Bell, State Board executive director. “We encourage these agencies and educational institutions to submit their approval forms and other required information to the State Board by the relevant deadline.”
See the chart below for information about upcoming deadlines:
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Approval Status |
Action Required |
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If your identification card was approved on or before |
That approval is valid until December 31, 2022. |
You do not need to resubmit at this time. |
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If your identification card has not yet been approved: |
The State Board of Elections must approve your submission on or before November 1, 2019, to ensure your identification cards may be used in elections held in 2020. If the State Board approves your institution’s submission, that approval is valid through December 31, 2020. |
In order to approve by the November 1, 2019 deadline, the State Board must receive your submission on or before October 26, 2019. |
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If your institution’s application was submitted on or before March 15, 2019, and your submission was denied: |
The State Board must approve previously disapproved identification cards no later than December 1, 2019, for use in elections held in 2020. If the State Board approves your institution’s submission, that approval is valid through December 31, 2020. |
You have until November 15, 2019, to submit a revised application for approval. |
A list of IDs that have been certified for use in elections beginning in 2020, as well as a list of IDs that were previously submitted and not approved, can be found at https://bit.ly/2kf6uz8.
Background: Beginning in 2020, voters in North Carolina will be asked to present photo identification to vote, though certain exceptions apply. Voter ID is not required in 2019 elections. For more on voter ID in North Carolina, go to https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voter-ID. If you do not have an approved photo ID for voting, you may obtain one for free at your county board of elections office.
In the November 2018 general election, 55.5 percent of the state’s voters approved a referendum requiring voters to present a photo ID to vote. Session Law 2018‐144, as amended by Session Law 2019‐22, implements the new photo ID law.