North Carolina Fixes Voter Registration Records After Federal Lawsuit

A federal judge approved a deal between North Carolina and the U.S. Department of Justice to fix voter registration problems. The Help America Vote Act requires all voter registrations to include either a driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number.

Many North Carolina voter records were missing these required ID numbers. Under the new agreement, the state will run a "Registration Repair Project" to collect missing information from voters. No voters will be removed from voting rolls just for missing ID numbers.

Instead, affected voters can vote using provisional ballots while they update their records. Voters can fix their registration online, by mail, or in person at county election offices. The state must also update forms, train poll workers better, and enter ID numbers faster when received.

This enforcement action is part of nationwide efforts to ensure election laws are followed properly. Similar cases are happening in California, Oregon, and Alabama. The agreement helps protect voting rights while making sure registration records follow federal law.