Republican and Unaffiliated Voters Lead Utilization of Same Day Registration in North Carolina

Same day registration has become a key part of North Carolina’s election system, both for voters and local election administrators. Since 2016, over a quarter million North Carolina voters have used same day registration to exercise their freedom to vote. As this memo lays out, a large majority of those voters who use same day registration in North Carolina are Republicans and unaffiliated voters.

In addition to providing voters insurance to ensure they are registered and verified to vote when they cast their ballot, same day registration also helps North Carolina’s local election officials keep the state’s voter rolls accurate and up-to-date, thereby increasing election integrity and security.

Most Same Day Registrants are Republicans and Unaffiliated Voters

Same day registration is a secure process with checks and balances

Same day registration is a secure system with built-in checks and balances. The same rules and verification process applies to any North Carolina citizen who registers the same day they vote as those who register a year in advance.

Under North Carolina law, local election officials go through a multi-step security process within two business days of a person’s registration, regardless of whether that citizen registers in advance or uses same day registration. 

This security process includes:

• Verifying the person’s identity by checking their ID or some documentation to prove their name and address 
• Verifying their driver’s license or Social Security number
• Searching for duplicate registrations in the state’s voter registration database
• Verifying each registrant’s address by mail 

By using this process, every single person registering to vote in North Carolina must prove their eligibility and identity. No one’s vote will count unless they pass this series of rigorous checks.

Same day registration increases election integrity by helping keep voter rolls clean and improves election administration

Same day registration also helps keep North Carolina’s voter rolls clean and elections secure. By giving voters more opportunities to update their address, party affiliation, and other important information on the same day they vote, voter registration records become more routinely updated and accurate, which is a key component of election integrity. 

Same day registration also improves election administration by cutting down on provisional voting. When North Carolinians can register and vote in a single trip, both voters and election officials save time and avoid the headaches that come from provisional voting. That’s why 23,000 fewer provisional votes were cast after same day registration first came to North Carolina, even though turnout rose by more than 800,000.

Same day registration is prevalent in Republican-led states, enhancing election integrity with updated voter rolls

States such as Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Iowa, Utah, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Alaska all offer some form of same day registration to voters. Implementing SDR enhances election integrity by reducing administrative burdens associated with maintaining accurate voter rolls. When voters provide updated information on their registration at the polls, this is a quicker way to update and increase the accuracy of the voter rolls in the state. 

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¹ Note: Counts include ballots that were “Accepted” or “Accepted – Cured”; ballot return type, ballot request type of “Early Voting” or “One-Stop” voting, and ballot request delivery type “In Person.” Source:Data downloaded from NC State Board of Elections, available at https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/absentee-and-provisional-data#absentee.

² Demos: Small Investments, High Yields: A Cost Study of Same Day Registration in Iowa and North Carolina (2012). https://www.demos.org/sites/default/files/publications/SDR-CostStudy-Final.pdf