FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Today, the North Carolina State Board of Elections formally launched the Registration Repair Project, a comprehensive effort to collect identification numbers – driver’s license numbers or the last four digits of social security numbers – for about 103,000 voters missing them on the state’s voter rolls.
The Registration Repair Project aims to ensure that North Carolina’s voter rolls are as accurate and complete as possible, bring them into compliance with recent state court rulings, and settle a pending lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice. The State Board of Elections unanimously approved the plan at its June 24 meeting.
Under federal law (52 U.S.C. 21803) and North Carolina law (N.C.G.S. 163-82.4), when a person registers to vote, they must provide their driver’s license number or, if they don’t have one, the last four digits of their social security number. This information is used to verify the person’s identity. However, faulty instructions on a voter registration form used in North Carolina for about a decade led some voters to register without providing either number. The voter registration form was corrected in January 2024 to make it clear that one of those numbers is required.
Thursday, July 17, marks the official start of the Registration Repair Project, which includes the following efforts, among others:
- A dedicated webpage – ncsbe.gov/registrationrepair – to provide information about this project. The webpage includes a link to the Registration Repair Search Tool, which allows registered voters to search the list to see if they are on it. The data in the search tool will be updated every morning to show only those registered voters who still must provide missing data. The webpage offers three options for voters on the list to provide the required information to election officials. It also includes answers to frequently asked questions about the effort.
- Detailed guidance to the 100 county boards of elections to immediately begin scouring election records for the affected voters to attempt to locate identification numbers that may not have been properly entered into the voter registration system, or other evidence that the voter has complied with state and federal laws. This process will reduce the number of voters who must provide information to election officials.
- In August, the State Board will send letters to individuals who remain on the list of affected voters. Each mailing will include a self-addressed, postage-prepaid return envelope and a simple form for collecting the required information, as well as information about the secure online NCDMV voter registration portal, where voters can update their registration information.
“This project will not result in the removal of any eligible voter from the voter rolls, as some have inaccurately suggested,” said Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Instead, it will result in cleaner, more complete voter rolls and full compliance with state and federal laws. We have gone to great lengths to make this process as straightforward and transparent as possible for the affected voters. We fully expect the number of voters on the list will decrease quickly.”
Three options for voters on the list
Voters on the Registration Repair list have three options:
1. If you have an N.C. driver’s license or DMV ID number, you can submit an updated voter registration form through the DMV’s website at payments.ncdot.gov. You can click “Continue as Guest” when asked to log into myNCDMV. There is no fee for this service. Click “Yes” when asked to update your voter information.
2. You can visit your county board of elections office, and they can help you ensure your registration is complete. You will need to have your driver’s license number or social security number with you. The Cumberland County Board of Elections is located in the E. Newton Smith Center at 227 Fountainhead Lane, Suite 101, in Fayetteville. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit Cumberland County Board of Elections online at cumberlandcountync.gov/elections or call 910-678-7733. The Board of Elections will not request your personal information over the phone.
3. Finally, in early August the State Board of Elections will mail letters to individuals who remain on this list at the time the mailing is sent. You can fill out the letter and mail it to the county board of elections in the pre-addressed return envelope enclosed with the letter. Postage is provided on the envelope. The Cumberland County Board of Elections mailing address is 227 Fountainhead Lane, Suite 101, Fayetteville, NC 28301.
In future elections, in-person voters who still have not provided the required information to update their registration must vote provisional ballots and provide the required information when they vote. That process is easy — the application for voting a provisional ballot includes prompts for a driver’s license number of the last four digits of your social security number.
The State Board of Elections is creating a flag to appear on these voters’ records in the electronic or paper poll books used at voting sites to alert poll workers that these voters must vote provisional ballots and provide the missing information for their ballot to count. County boards of elections will train their elections workers accordingly, under the plan.