Over the past couple of days, the North Carolina State Board of Elections has received several calls from voters across the state who are confused or angered by mailers that include information, sometimes inaccurate, about whether they voted in the 2018 or 2020 elections.
Officials said the mailers include the words “Important Voter Notification” in red letters at the top and a chart with supposed information about whether the voter voted in the last two elections.
At least some of the mailings also state: “According to your North Carolina state election record, you skipped the 2018 mid-term election.”
Through preliminary investigation, the state board has determined that the voter information on the cards is sometimes incorrect and does not match official state voter records.
“These mailers are confusing to voters and have resulted in numerous calls to the State Board at a critical time in the election cycle,” said Patrick Gannon, public information director at the State Board. “We recognize the importance of efforts to encourage people to vote. However, providing inaccurate information decreases confidence in our elections, and encouraging voters to contact the State Board about their voting record from prior elections is unnecessary and stresses our limited resources.”
The mailer was sponsored by Voter Education Network Independent Expenditure PAC and it instructs voters to contact the state board of elections if they believe the voting record on the card is incorrect. It includes the phone number and website of the State Board.
How to Find Your Voter History Record
In response to these mailings, the state board is reminding voters how to check their official voter record online, including their “voter history.”
Voter history includes the date of each election or primary election in which the voter cast a ballot. It also shows the voting method: in-person on Election Day, one-stop early voting, absentee by mail, or provisional.
For primary elections, the voter history record also includes which political party’s primary the voter participated in.
Here’s how to find your voter history record:
- Go to the State Board’s Voter Search tool. (vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)
- Enter your first and last names, as they would appear on your voter record, into the required fields, then click “Search.”
- From the resulting list, click on your name, which appears in blue type.
- Scroll down to the “Your Voter History” section.
The state board of elections reminds all voters to get accurate information about elections from state and county elections officials. It’s available online at NCSBE.gov.
